As for smart, basic intelligence is far more widely distributed than our present class of entitled intellectuals think it is. Or so I believe, and I base that belief on personal observation.

Charts and statistics, etc. I basically take with a few grains of salt. I think what matters is the thoroughness of information gathering and the use you make of it. Some folks know how to interpret polls, chats, etc. and a lot more do not. Those same above mentioned entitled intellectuals, and especially their wannabe acolytes, have a touching faith in stuff written down on pieces of paper. I am amazed at how many of them pay no attention to the timing of events, which I think is key to understanding. For example, newly inaugurated Pres. Biden announced withdrawal of support (or some support) for the Saudis' excellent adventure in Yemen. I think the timing of that announcement mattered, for a number of reasons.

Spies are paid employees. Period. They might be being paid in attention or feelings of superiority or fantasy, but paid nonetheless. So what you need to know is who is paying them to do what.

As for your last question, I value the anonymity of the internet as a place where I can express a thought and read what others think without having to deal with gatekeepers and credentialitis.

That's all

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Anonymity and universal access.
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I doubt that very many notice or even have any reason to care, but I try to be careful to avoid vouching for the accuracy of the numbers I post. Numbers have been far more prominent in the current public controversies about health than I can ever recall on any other topic of message board debate. In general such numbers now are less reliable than ever in human history.

I also try to offer a rationale for what the numbers mean. For the most prominent example, the American death toll, according to the public authorities, is now approaching 700,000. Almost everything I read recites this ever rising statistic as an incomprehensible horror. This reaction is often illustrated by reference to how many Americans died in Vietnam or World War II -- or how many cities have populations below 700,000. I take the opposite tack in looking at that number -- how many people have not died from Covid in the USA? Over 330,000,000. What are the odds? About a one in 500 chance of dying from it so far. 99.75 per cent are still alive! And just under 300,000,000 were never a "case."

Whatever "a case" means.

So which perspective is correct?

Neither, of course. They are just perspectives.

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I do not worry my head over the question of how inflated that death rate number might be. I take it as highly improbable that the "real" number is higher. But it could be, for all I know. But I take it as a number to work with to understand the political and social issues that these charts and graphs are supposed to illuminate.

So, a year and half into this global adventure in mass health care policy, we are no closer to the end of the pandemic than ever, as we have no idea how or when it will end. Charts and graphs we have by the ton load. But understanding what will happen over the next year and a half is a profound mystery.

In short, charts and graphs are not necessarily accurate and just because somebody on the internet believes them to be accurate is just another opinion.

All agree that facts are better than opinions. Of course that is just their opinion. Very hard to escape that problem.

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Seriously, thank you for a thought provoking post.

Socrates said:

All men are mortal
Socrates is a man
Therefore Socrates is mortal.

Unfortunately, he thus committed petitio principe (begging the question), leaving one to suspect that

All men are idiots
(fortunately for me, I am enhydra lutris)
neener, neener, neener