When it comes to spreading disinformation about climate change or the risks of smoking, I can clearly see how it protects economic interests (e.g. the value of the assets of the fossil fuel industry or the tobacco industry). I therefore understand that these lies are (have been) regularly pushed by people who do not necessarily believe in them.
But what are the strategic considerations behind the active spread of anti-vax theories? Who gains from this? Is it just an effective topic to rile up a political base? Because it hits people right in the feels? Is it just a way to bring people together on one topic, in order to use that political base for other purposes?
Or is anti-vax disinformation really only pushed by people who believe it?
This reminds me of a study that was done at some point where in order to generate empathy and sway a person’s political opinion, they sent to their home a person who was impacted by the matter at hand, just to talk with them. So basically, sending to an anti-abortion voter a woman who had gone through an abortion; sending to an anti-trans voter a transgender person; etc.
The finding was that it worked in some cases, but that it worked best for topics that weren’t covered much by the news. Abortion rights were already a hot-button issue back then, and people’s minds weren’t changed much; but trans rights were not at all at the time (oh how the times have changed!), therefore minds were easier to change.