A student in my undergraduate class has tweeted her displeasure (or so I’m told) at my having noted the abundant scientific evidence that masks do not prevent transmission of flu-like respiratory viruses.
My department chair just called to ask if that is true—it is, as I readily told him—and to let me know that NYU’s COVID response team, or whatever it’s called, will shortly be emailing all my students to reaffirm the policy (which, I told them explicitly, I don’t advise them to ignore).
I do believe they should be thinking for themselves, and studying the evidence for any claim or mandate, instead of merely bowing to authority. That’s my intellectual and civic obligation, as a teacher, whatever NYU’s official policy, or New York State’s. It’s one thing to expect the students to obey their institution’s rules, but quite another thing to urge them not to think about it.
We’ll be discussing this whole contretemps in class, as it perfectly exemplifies the power of propaganda, and the lengths to which the powers that be will go to safeguard its narratives from any contradiction.
19 replies on “NYU is displeased that I’ve questioned masking in my propaganda class”
Thank you for being a real teacher and encouraging critical thinking in your students.
I too support you challenging your students to use their critical thinking, and weigh evidence against dominant narratives. Bravo.
Teaching students to question assumptions is exactly what universities were created for.
Critical thinking is the foundation of intelligent and rational thought. Thank you for teaching your students how to THINK, and not just how to absorb information. You are also correct presenting that all scientific data shows there is limited efficacy in using masks to slow transmission rates of respiratory diseases.
Find the court case in Canada where the nurses sued to prevent being required to wear masks due to not being vaccinated. Both sides called experts in to testify, and the nurses won because no data could show any efficacy of mask wearing.
I was actually a bit shocked as one expert presented a double blind clinical trial that showed no statistical significance between surgeons masks and even N95’s for respiratory disease transmission in a hospital setting. I couldn’t believe even the N95’s had almost no effect.
Absolutely amazing Professor Miller! I thank you for stepping outside the box and challenging your students to examine all that is placed in front of them, to not be just be robotic followers in this this time when critical thinking is is not only expected but demanded.
To the Critics and Students of Professor MCM:
The science has spoken on this matter and the results are, masks are an inadequate tool for the prevention of infectious diseases. There are few masks that are exceptional and they have been scientifically proven to work (e.g. N95 masks). To back up this claim, look at the research that the University of Illinois published about the effectiveness of masks [1]. This is not my opinion, it’s a scientific fact. Also, remember the US Surgeon General passed along guidance about masks? He specifically says “Seriously people – STOP BUYING MASKS!…Masks are NOT effective in preventing the general public from catching Conronavirus…” [2]. A few weeks later the CDC changes its stance on the use of masks. The first question you should ask yourself is “what scientific evidence did they have to reverse their guidance on masks?”. If the answer is none, (which it is), then you have to ask yourself “Are they lying to me now or were they lying to me before?”. If you’re answering these questions reasonably, you should conclude that a lie was told, albeit wittingly or unwittingly. Furthermore, it is not unreasonable to conclude that the official guidance for masks is not grounded in science. In fact, this is a good example of psuedoscience. But the point that I want to make is that much of society has willing accepted new guidance from the CDC without question. It’s remarkable how much blind faith our society puts into doctors and the psuedoscience they push. Professor MCM is simply trying to tell you, now is not the time to be obedient followers of the church of science. Now is the time to question their priest (the scientists) and hold them to a high standard. But if you have no clue about how the scientific process works and how things are proven it’s hard to really know what standard they should be held to. This means you have to look into it yourself, learn what it means to prove the existence of a virus through isolation and purification. Then you’ll be able to assess whether the PCR test is an appropriate measure of COVID or if it picks up a lot of white noise. Keeping the reference to masks, look into the size of a particle of a COVID droplet and the size of the holes in the unsealed masks that people wear. Spoiler alert, you’re not going to learn about this through your favorite main stream media outlet. In those circles, journalism is dead and it died some time ago. Have an open mind and look into alternative sources of news, there are real journalists out there. Very good ones too. They respect the craft, they are credible and their integrity is second to none. This is something I can not say about the larger media outlets in this country, they’ve all sold us out. A good place to start is this article from Off-Gaurdian, they look at the mask debate from a different angle and are questioning “Is evidence masks don’t work being purged from the internet?” [3]. Anyway, I digress. Listen to Professor MCM he’s an ally of a free and transparent society. To be against him means you’re a witting or unwitting agent for tyranny or the like.
1. https://publichealth.uic.edu/news-stories/commentary-masks-for-all-for-covid-19-not-based-on-sound-data/
2. https://twitter.com/Surgeon_General/status/1233725785283932160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1233726563881029632%7Ctwgr%5Eshare_3&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.marketwatch.com%2Fstory%2Fsurgeon-general-wants-you-to-stop-buying-masks-to-protect-yourself-from-coronavirus-they-are-not-effective-2020-03-01
3. https://off-guardian.org/2020/09/23/is-evidence-masks-dont-work-being-purged-from-the-internet/
Hi mark! It’s gabby from creative steps!( or what used to be creative steps!). I saw an article about you and had to try and say hi! How aid Amy? My boy Billy? Elexa just started University @ Buffalo. I can’t imagine how grown billy is now. Boy was he my buddy.
Sending my love to you all!! Keep up the good fight Marc . NYU is such a corrupt, Liberal leaning institution.
We need to pay attention to data. The data is showing that the masks are probably not effective, in fact in some areas it seems to show that they may have made it worse (Sweden suggested this, that masks actually increase riskier behavior).
Looks like you’ll be reporting for the re-education camp soon. Sigh. Guess it’s been a while since universities were communities that encourage a diversity of ideas and opinions and the critical examination of those differences.
I want to applaud you for speaking the truth. It is about controlling the people. Bill Gates ,the Communist Chairman, George Soros, and Michael Bloomberg are working to bring in a One World government and the mark of the beast mentioned in book of Revelation before it is time this is the reason that Michael Bloomberg has donated 100 million towards contact tracing and Bill Gates has committed 623 million towards the Corona virus. If you Google lockstep which was a position paper by the Rockefeller foundation that was published in 2010 describes exactly what has happened now. Those who call on the name of Jesus Christ shall be saved. If you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose from the grave you shall be saved.
Are you asking all your students to question & think critically from both propaganda from both sides? i.e. the needs for masking and the conspiracy theory of against masking?
If not, then I find it quite ironic that you are teaching a class on “Mass Persuasion and Propaganda” yet do not ask your students to think critically about the conspiracy theories who are trying to spread MISINFORMATION not grounded in any factual basis.
Look at the comment from “Doug Mohr”.
How does the class on “Mass Persuasion and Propaganda” deal with the information Doug Mohr has received and has accepted as truth? What methods does one apply? Do we apply all similar methods to other “propaganda” such as need for masking?
Just wanted to leave another comment for you to let you know that all free-thinking people are proud of you for taking this stand and publicizing this pathetic attempt at control and revisionism from NYU. Your class is specifically about thinking through bias in the mass media, and you have a great real life example for your class now of how powerful an effect the media has on our thoughts and beliefs. I hope you keep going forward with this class and continue to teach as you have been. I’m not a professor, but I take the chance to educate people about masks and the entire Covid scamdemic whenever I can. Don’t let them paint you with that “alt-right” brush, especially if you’re not a conservative. In fact, we need more people of the left of center persuasion to stand up for liberal values and wake people up from their slumber.
Our society is at a very dangerous turning point. For the most part, the colleges these days turn out only adult children who aren’t capable of having their opinions challenged. You’ve seen that first hand countless times, and he’s just the latest example. Ride this wave of media attention. Continue to outrage your students with the facts and science. Even if 50% of them are unreachable, and they complain again to the department, you have to continue teaching this class and speaking truth to power. I suggest recording your lectures, if you don’t already, so you have some proof to show the faculty that you’re merely just teaching the class curriculum.
You are absolutely correct Prof. Miller.
In today’s climate, facts seem optional. They do not use their brains…if you can smell a fart through the mask, you can catch COVID. Maybe the science not fit their narrative. Or maybe, some are living in their NY and LA, self righteous, mental matrix bubble. “I know better than you and I know what is good for you. If you don’t agree, I am offended and you should be fired.” Go live in communists China…they would love to have more minds to control. I will buy your airline ticket.
Yes. I urge them to research the arguments both pro and con—and also to look up the reviews of such studies by other scientists, and, with the pro-masking studies, check for any conflicts of interest (e.g., universities with Big Pharma partnerships, or funding from the Gates Foundation). I also shared a link to a debate on the issue between Denis Rancourt and David Kyle Johnson.
So there’s no “misinformation” in my class, OR any “conspiracy theories” (a phrase weaponized specifically to shut down dissident inquiry and discussion).
Responding to Doug, who said, among other things “Bill Gates ,the Communist Chairman,” This is beyond absurd. The purpose of communism is to empower the working class at the expense of the super wealthy capitalist class, and to provide at least the essentials for life to all people. Doug’s comment is upside down, backwards and inside out.
Doug is correct and accurate. The Chinagates want to implement their version of utopia. Agenda 21 has been around for years. In a perfect utopiansocialist world every one is equal and is provided everything they need. History proves that this never happens. In the Communist Chairman’s Agenda 21 world, there is one world government and currency. We all live in walled large urban center with travel only between centers. You assigned job and housing. You might own a bicycle. There is no free speech or thought. It already happening. When I search for this article the 1st time it came up 4th the next time at the bottom. India went to court to suppress anything that wasn’t the state sponsored. That Karen in Professor Millers class needs to wake up. She is supposedly in college to learn. All she’s seemed to learn is how to be a good sheeple. I’m sure she’ll be the first to get the. green Star of David badge that says she’s covid negative and vaccinated.
Here is 2 good arcticles that prove masks are just a social conditioning tool.
https://www.meehanmd.com/blog/2020-10-10-an-evidence-based-scientific-analysis-of-why-masks-are-ineffective-unnecessary-and-harmful/
https://www.rcreader.com/commentary/masks-dont-work-covid-a-review-of-science-relevant-to-covide-19-social-policy
Bravo Prof. Miller. As a high school teacher I am using this situation to not only show HS students how free thinking is discouraged, but also that NYU is not to be considered as a viable institution.
I just listened to you on the Red Scare podcast, and I just wanted to know if hypnotism and propaganda can go together; whenever I listen to that podcast, the vocal fry lulls me into a sort of hypnotic, suggestive state, and when I come to, I find myself wondering about giving up everything and living a TradCath lifestyle.