It was the hyperbole and extremely visible coordination around the COVID vaccines that broke confidence. Here [1] is a montage of various highly influential public figures stating that if you get vaccinated you won't get COVID and you won't transmit COVID. Oh and the censorship. The reason I'm linking to X is because these exact montages, simply quoting public figures saying things, tend to get removed from YouTube.
There should be public debate around most of any issue. Tell people something as simple that getting some sunlight is good for them and some will even argue against it claiming that no it's not, you'll just get skin cancer. And that's fine, even those sort of views deserve their place in the public discourse. But when that discourse is completely absent - presumably to try to give the appearance of complete consensus, it doesn't inspire confidence, but destroys it.
There should be public debate around most of any issue. Tell people something as simple that getting some sunlight is good for them and some will even argue against it claiming that no it's not, you'll just get skin cancer. And that's fine, even those sort of views deserve their place in the public discourse. But when that discourse is completely absent - presumably to try to give the appearance of complete consensus, it doesn't inspire confidence, but destroys it.
[1] - https://x.com/ITGuy1959/status/1581034815700488192