Why did intelligent people succumb to the Doomsday Virus propaganda?

Here’s a good example of something that has bothered me greatly throughout the COVID fiasco: thoughtful, high IQ people whose opinion I’d previously respected bought into the pandemic propaganda wholesale. Why? Below are the words of Dilbert creator Scott Adams. What is strange is that this is from 2021, not spring 2020.

No, we were never in a “deadly pandemic”, vaccine or no vaccine. The elderly, the morbidly obese, those with severe pre-existing conditions, yes, but “deadly pandemic” loses all meaning if applied to only those demographics. Those groups are always under threat of illness and death.

“If you’re anti-mandate, you’re anti-vax.”

Listen to this deranged psychopath, of whom there have been many iterations throughout history. This guy sounds ready to fire up the gas chambers. He’s totally dehumanized those who haven’t received Pfizer’s most profitable pharmaceutical.