Not half the "dissident" he claims to be
Dr. Mark McDonald runs Dissident MD, a site devoted to challenging the lies that the government and media tried to ram down our throats during the so-called Covid-19 pandemic. And he has written a couple of books, the first one describing how America fell victim to "mass-formation psychosis," a state of delusional paranoia. His latest book, just out, is about how to break free from this fear that has paralyzed our nation. He also writes regular articles on Substack, most of which are very insightful. So far, so good.
Unfortunately, McDonald's behavior doesn't quite match up with the "dissident" persona that he peddles. Why not? Well, one BIG reason that mass-formation psychosis was able to gain such a stronghold over our nation was Big Tech: Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, etc. All of these places are actively trying to censor the truth and stir up fear in everyone. So, in order to break the spell over our nation, wouldn't one of the most obvious first steps be to stop *feeding* that beast? Well, you'd think so. But maybe that's a bit too logical for some folks.
While McDonald accurately diagnoses the problem of fear addiction in America, he seems to be blind to his *own* Big Tech addiction. For instance, if you visit his Web site, at the upper-right corner is a "Buy Now" button to purchase his books. And guess where it leads? Right to Amazon! Next to this button, he has links to his Facebook and Twitter pages too. Does that really sound like a "dissident" to you? A true dissident would've kicked Amazon, Facebook, and Twitter to the curb ages ago, and found alternative platforms to promote his message. I mean, there are literally *dozens* of alternative platforms out there, so there's no excuse for any conservative to cling to Big Tech like a big wimp.
So, why hasn't McDonald put his money where his mouth is and moved over to "alt-tech" instead? The answer seems pretty obvious. Like so many "conservatives," McDonald seems to be mostly about self-promotion. Thus, he's unwilling to make any sacrifices that might jeopardize the size of his audience or influence. Ultimately, it's about the love of money and power. For example, he has about 6,000 followers on Twitter, and it appears that he's afraid to dump Twitter because he might *lose* many of those followers. Similarly, he likely doesn't want to dump Amazon because that would mean less MONEY. Sadly, he seems to be the kind guy who won't ever let his "principles" get in the way of self-promotion.
Ironically enough, it seems that McDonald won't dump Big Tech mainly because of FEAR—fear of losing power and status. But he's going to lecture OTHERS on how to overcome their fear addiction? Well, maybe he should push through his *own* fears and overcome his Big Tech addiction before attempting to teach others. Part of his problem seems to be sloth as well. Finding new platforms is a lot of WORK, and hey, why do that when staying put is so much *easier*?
Like so many hypocritical authors, McDonald would do well to follow his own advice. For instance, two principles that he teaches are: "Face the mirror" and "Don't be a sheep." So, Mr. McDonald, why don't you face the mirror and see that by clinging to Big Tech, you're actually being a big sheep yourself? It's time for you to man up—stop being a sheep and kick Big Tech to the curb. Until you do so, then you're just enabling their evil deeds, and your message rings hollow.
Anyway, as I said, McDonald has written a lot of helpful stuff, and what he says is well worth listening to. But is he really a *dissident*? Sadly, he seems to be only half dissident—and half big sheep.
Dissident MD? Make that Sissident MD instead. ;)