Public health disparities provide an important lens for understanding social and political change in the USA. Using individual-level medical data and death records, this study shows that conservative Americans experienced worsening health and higher mortality than liberals during the 2010s. Here we find evidence consistent with two potential mechanisms. First, demographic realignment within political coalitions brought less healthy individuals into the conservative camp. Yet by the 2020s, demographic change, public policy and COVID-19 do not fully account for the widening gap in mortality rates. Public opinion data are consistent with a second mechanism: declining trust in medical professionals among right-leaning individuals, including lower willingness to seek care, follow clinical advice or believe in medication effectiveness, even for issues unrelated to COVID-19. These patterns suggest that growing ideological divides in health behaviours are leaving conservative Americans increasingly vulnerable to preventable health risks. Using individual-level medical data and death records, this study finds that conservatives in the USA experienced worse health and higher mortality than liberals during the 2010s. No significant gaps in biomarkers or mortality were present before the 2010s.
They fell for a scam. That doesn’t merit the death sentence.
Agree. The sad fact is there have been plenty of mistakes made throughout history that can often serve as a kernel of truth to make a lie just believable enough. Given historical context within the U.S. (for example Tuskegee experiments), and the fact that even in the last decade we’ve uncovered more cases of unethical human experimentation by both the government and private companies (MK Ultra, social media manipulation of users emotions), we really should be asking why more isn’t being done by leaders to: 1. Publicly acknowledge some very big mistakes, 2. Create ongoing consequences for the people who did this unethical bullshit. As in, ongoing financial penalties/compensations for victims and their families/communities, and demanding more transparency from these agencies and businesses… Instead of allowing them to just continue operating as normal, essentially tax free with zero transparency while pretending we should all just say thank you.
Idk is expecting the bare minimum from the people we trust (and PAY) to create and enforce laws and policy really too far fetched?
I know whenever I read some crazy MAHA bullshit coming from DHHS in 2026 implying I should be depending on raw milk for my own health instead of vaccinations, I think about the fact that A. Obviously this is a once trusted source of information I can no longer trust, B. The damage currently being done to public trust isn’t going to disappear overnight if/when fascism leaves office, C. The current damage is compounded on top of a lot of previous damage our government never took the time to actually acknowledge and try to repair. D. I doubt anybody in this administration will face consequences for the damage they’re doing, but there will be ongoing consequences to public health and safety for decades if not generations. And that’s kind of their overarching goal.
Tldr: It’s valid to be angry at people for making poor choices, but they’re still people. I’m more angry at the system that failed them and is continuing to fail all of us by not demanding accountability from the agencies/corporations/individuals who knew what they were doing was wrong, but did it anyway because they believed/trusted that even if they got caught, any consequences/penalities would be insignificant.
Agree. The sad fact is there have been plenty of mistakes made throughout history that can often serve as a kernel of truth to make a lie just believable enough. Given historical context within the U.S. (for example Tuskegee experiments), and the fact that even in the last decade we’ve uncovered more cases of unethical human experimentation by both the government and private companies (MK Ultra, social media manipulation of users emotions), we really should be asking why more isn’t being done by leaders to: 1. Publicly acknowledge some very big mistakes, 2. Create ongoing consequences for the people who did this unethical bullshit. As in, ongoing financial penalties/compensations for victims and their families/communities, and demanding more transparency from these agencies and businesses… Instead of allowing them to just continue operating as normal, essentially tax free with zero transparency while pretending we should all just say thank you.
Idk is expecting the bare minimum from the people we trust (and PAY) to create and enforce laws and policy really too far fetched?
I know whenever I read some crazy MAHA bullshit coming from DHHS in 2026 implying I should be depending on raw milk for my own health instead of vaccinations, I think about the fact that A. Obviously this is a once trusted source of information I can no longer trust, B. The damage currently being done to public trust isn’t going to disappear overnight if/when fascism leaves office, C. The current damage is compounded on top of a lot of previous damage our government never took the time to actually acknowledge and try to repair. D. I doubt anybody in this administration will face consequences for the damage they’re doing, but there will be ongoing consequences to public health and safety for decades if not generations. And that’s kind of their overarching goal.
Tldr: It’s valid to be angry at people for making poor choices, but they’re still people. I’m more angry at the system that failed them and is continuing to fail all of us by not demanding accountability from the agencies/corporations/individuals who knew what they were doing was wrong, but did it anyway because they believed/trusted that even if they got caught, any consequences/penalities would be insignificant.