Best Political Cartoons

[PosthumanHeresy]

[snip]

Cue a bunch of anti-vaxxers whinging about polio and smallpox already being on the decline prior to the introduction of vaccines, and the usual cries of "Well, my friend's kid totally caught the measles after getting his shots, so obviously this single data point disproves everything". Oh, and don't forget to stir a little bit of "What's worse, chicken pox or autism?" into the shit stew.

If someone said that last one to me, I'd just reply "Chicken pox". Not because I believe it's worse, but because I love giving the answer that was so obviously wrong to rhetorical questions.

I consider chicken pox the right answer to that question. Chicken pox, if you catch it too late in life, can be itself fatal. Autism is only fatal when other people are complete shitheads.

Nah, only some forms of autism are okay. Like, Aspergers? Yeah, people with Aspergers can do pretty well for themselves. Other people with autism will never be able to live alone, ever. To me, the most terrifying thing in the world is losing my intelligence. That scares me far more than death ever will.

[lord gibbon]

As someone with Asperger's, I can vouch for that. In high school, I helped work with some of the more severely autistic children. Some of them will never be able to even speak, let alone anything more advanced. Plenty of autistic people can function, but the worst cases are truly debilitating. Not that it's really relevant here, as there is literally no evidence tat vaccines cause autism.

By the way, if I seem more aggressive than normal, It's cause I'm irritated that my otherwise rational parents have bought into the anti-vaccine nonsense.

[PosthumanHeresy]

As someone with Asperger's, I can vouch for that. In high school, I helped work with some of the more severely autistic children. Some of them will never be able to even speak, let alone anything more advanced. Plenty of autistic people can function, but the worst cases are truly debilitating. Not that it's really relevant here, as there is literally no evidence that vaccines cause autism.

By the way, if I seem more aggressive than normal, It's cause I'm irritated that my otherwise rational parents have bought into the anti-vaccine nonsense.

Ahh, that sucks. Point is, yeah, Chickenpox > Severe autism. Hell, if I was going to have a kid and the doctors said she'd have that level of autism, I'd definitely prefer an abortion. That's just a hellish existence.

[Askold]

That is actually a good point. Limiting the rights of people just because of their sexual orientation is wrong but certainly not the only questionable thing Russia has done lately. As usual the article that comes with the comic goes into much deeper details:
http://www.filibustercartoons.com/index.php/2013/08/14/putins-worst-crime/

(I would also like to note that even though the comic is just covered in labels, in this case several of those are necessary. Well, I think Gaddafi and Pussy riot would have been recognisable without them.)

[The Right Honourable Mlle Antéchrist]

As someone with Asperger's, I can vouch for that. In high school, I helped work with some of the more severely autistic children. Some of them will never be able to even speak, let alone anything more advanced. Plenty of autistic people can function, but the worst cases are truly debilitating. Not that it's really relevant here, as there is literally no evidence tat vaccines cause autism.

By the way, if I seem more aggressive than normal, It's cause I'm irritated that my otherwise rational parents have bought into the anti-vaccine nonsense.

Pseudo-science in general tends to piss me off, but the thing that makes anti-vaccination campaigns particularly repugnant is that they put children at risk through absolutely no fault of their own, and have had some pretty major repercussions for society as a whole. When we have outbreaks of measles, whooping cough and other serious diseases resulting from a movement, it's difficult not get angry about it.

That being said, I suppose we can count ourselves lucky that anti-vaxxers didn't become relatively mainstream before the elimination of smallpox or the virtual elimination of diseases like polio in most countries. Not that the measles or whooping cough are anything to sneeze at, of course.

[chad sexington]

That is actually a good point. Limiting the rights of people just because of their sexual orientation is wrong but certainly not the only questionable thing Russia has done lately. As usual the article that comes with the comic goes into much deeper details:
http://www.filibustercartoons.com/index.php/2013/08/14/putins-worst-crime/

(I would also like to note that even though the comic is just covered in labels, in this case several of those are necessary. Well, I think Gaddafi and Pussy riot would have been recognisable without them.)

I think it's safe to say I wouldn't have figured out what any of those were without labels

[starseeker]

As someone with Asperger's, I can vouch for that. In high school, I helped work with some of the more severely autistic children. Some of them will never be able to even speak, let alone anything more advanced. Plenty of autistic people can function, but the worst cases are truly debilitating. Not that it's really relevant here, as there is literally no evidence tat vaccines cause autism.

By the way, if I seem more aggressive than normal, It's cause I'm irritated that my otherwise rational parents have bought into the anti-vaccine nonsense.

Pseudo-science in general tends to piss me off, but the thing that makes anti-vaccination campaigns particularly repugnant is that they put children at risk through absolutely no fault of their own, and have had some pretty major repercussions for society as a whole. When we have outbreaks of measles, whooping cough and other serious diseases resulting from a movement, it's difficult not get angry about it.

That being said, I suppose we can count ourselves lucky that anti-vaxxers didn't become relatively mainstream before the elimination of smallpox or the virtual elimination of diseases like polio in most countries. Not that the measles or whooping cough are anything to sneeze at, of course.

Suspect the reason the anti-vaxxers are becoming mainstream is that most people don't remember what it was like before vaccination, so they don't balance the risks properly. By modern standards the smallpox vaccine is stupidly high risk and dangerous, but the risk was accepted because everyone knew what smallpox did to people.

[Askold]

Suspect the reason the anti-vaxxers are becoming mainstream is that most people don't remember what it was like before vaccination, so they don't balance the risks properly. By modern standards the smallpox vaccine is stupidly high risk and dangerous, but the risk was accepted because everyone knew what smallpox did to people.

I think that's a pretty good guess. Just like the people who complain about seat-belts and alike, the two main arguments are:

-The small risk that comes with the cure is not acceptable. Even though the alternative is much more dangerous, they either don't realise or do not care that those huge deathtolls might return if they get their way.

-Freedom of choice to do stupid things. Which should stop when it starts to put others in danger as well.

[Barbarella]

We should pass around photos of third-world smallpox (or whatever) sufferers.

Of course, they'll be in denial but perhaps we can convince the less insane ones to change their tune.

[mellenORL]

I'm reading this thread while my life long case of severe tinnitus caused by rubella is in fucking over-drive - louder than a passing truck. I got immunized, but back when German measles/rubella first appeared in the U.S., we didn't have the ability to update and quickly distribute new vaccines like we do today.

[The Right Honourable Mlle Antéchrist]

We should pass around photos of third-world smallpox (or whatever) sufferers.

Of course, they'll be in denial but perhaps we can convince the less insane ones to change their tune.

Smallpox is eradicated worldwide, but polio is still endemic in a number of regions.

[wrightway]

Also even if you are lucky and catch it early in life, chicken pox puts you at risk of shingles which I have heard is an agonizing disease which in about 1 in 5 cases causes severe lasting complications, and may be linked to increased risk of cancer.

chicken pox is not a joke.

As someone who's had shingle (the pain was so bad I was afraid I was dying) I'd like to say a hail and hearty "Fuck you" to the anti vaxxers.

[Witchyjoshy]

We actually think I caught chicken pox from my father, because he had shingles.

Not that I'm sure that's possible.

[Osama bin Bambi]

I got the vaccine. When I was little, my mom made me hug a friend with chicken pox and I didn't get sick, and I haven't gotten the chicken pox since, so I guess it worked. But later on, when she had my brother, she decided that it would just be better if he caught it early on. He caught it when he was a toddler and it lasted a month. Not fun.

[anti-nonsense]

I had it when I was like 6 or something, don't even really remember exactly.

(this was 20 years ago so the vaccine was not widely used, if I have kids I WILL get them vaccinated ASAP.)