Tactics against scheming diseases

Achieving good health can be thought of as a struggle against opponents—disease and unhealthy practices—that are imagined to be active agents, in a type of thought experiment. These opponents of health, to reduce outrage about their activities, draw on a standard set of tactics: cover-up of the threat, devaluation of victims, reinterpretation of what is happening, use of official processes to give an illusion of safety, and intimidation. To promote good health, each of these tactics can be countered, by exposure of the problem, validation of victims, reframing of what is happening, mobilisation of support, and resistance. Three case studies are used to illustrate how this framework can be applied: AIDS, smoking, and human evil. Conceptualising good health as a strategic encounter against scheming disease agents highlights the value of thinking strategically and of recognising the importance of public outrage in campaigning.