I have some sympathy with this view, even if I wouldn't necessary put it quite such strident terms. If we can't work with each other in a simple way like this, what hope do we have in terms of dealing with the climate emergency?
Let's stay on topic but let's be realistic, people like you and me are not going to work together in a simple way because we have such fundamentally different views.
I've done my research and am ready to debunk your claims; if one day you do research of your own and are prepared to agree with me, that would be great, but I am not expecting that to be a likely outcome.
I don't understand why all these social media influencers and other pundits bang on about how terrible masks are. We also keep hearing that many of the same sort of people don't trust vaccines.
I don't understand why all these social media influencers and other pundits bang on about how wonderful masks are. Why don't these sort of people trust vaccines?
...a simple bit of fabric with straps that could be sewn together in a WI "stitch and bitch" meet-up would meet with their approval...
Such masks only meet the approval of virtue signallers.
Apparently not. As I understand it, vaccines are not trusted because they rely on science beyond the understanding of a lay-person, masks are not trusted because they seem too simple. What is the solution?
The solution is reaching endemic equilibrium through high levels of immunity in the community. Vaccines are a massive help and takeup of the vaccine among adults in the UK is around 90%; clearly the vast majority trust vaccines. Similarly around 90% of the population are unmasked (depending on the setting; if I shop at a time elderly non-working people shop it can be 60%+ masked but in a hospitality venue it is usually 100% unmasked; at my workplace around 99% of people are unmasked)
Masks are not a solution for anything; flimsy loose fitting masks do not filter aerosol particles and therefore do not stop virus transmission. Effective FFP3 masks do work but are only really suitable in specific settings and/or for specific groups of people e.g. immunocompromised may wish to wear them.
You might assume that being able to manage virus transmission via a simple piece of cloth would be celebrated as an excellent way to avoid "totalitarian" measures such as stay-at-home orders or vaccine passports.
A simple piece of cloth does not reduce transmission; it's also a false dichotomy as there is no need for any such orders with our without flimsy masks.
My position has always been that I've been prepared to wear the thing for a short while to [ostensibly] get the country out of a fix, but won't countenance it as a permanent change.
You missed the word ostensibly in there!
Other than that, I agree. I went along with it while it was legally mandated until 19th July, despite knowing that it made no difference whatsoever. But I'm not going back to wearing one. No way. Enough is enough.