@GnotherGnu - you make some very interesting points that got me thinking.
The level of wilful ignorance on the part of the "Army" is astounding. I have seen this for myself on their FB page and on Twitter and I'm certain that if you told them the sky was blue they would say it was green, if they thought it would back up their argument.
Dissimulation, such as "Alfie is not in pain" (truth: doctors can not say for certain whether he is or not"). "The hospital should 'free' Alfie" (truth: even if they wanted to, the hospital, at this stage, can not legally relinquish their care of Alfie). "Alfie would get a diagnosis if he were allowed to go abroad" (truth: As a consultant has already said 'a diagnosis would not help Alfie' - the "army" are confusing a lack of diagnosis with a lack of treatment and care. For example, one can be treated for high blood pressure before one is eventually diagnosed with the underlying cause of the high blood pressure (kidney disease, say.) Conversely, someone might be treated for high BP and never even find out the underlying cause).
There are dozens of these chunks of misinformation flying about, and it surprises me that many from this "army" who claim to be so invested in Alfie don't even seem to have read the very readily available documents online, which simply and clearly explain Alfie's pathology and prognosis.
I wonder whether for some in and around the phenomena of Alfie's Army, it is more about being a part of a club or social group than it is about a real and well understand stand behind a strongly held belief? Some of the behaviour outside Alderhey Hospital has been very odd indeed. The evening when bazaar tents and a bouncy castle appeared on the grass verge, along with folks having wheelie competitions on their motorbikes "for Alfie", the selling of beer and trinkets along with general merry-making and reports of aggression and drunken behaviour don't really tally with the grave and heart-breaking subject of "defending" or being in solidarity with a child who has a terminal illness.
This all feels like an escalation and a few steps up from the Charlie Gard case. There's more hysteria, more reactive behaviour, more online abuse, and the father seems much more aware of how to utilise social media to draw attention to the plight of Alfie Evans. To a large degree, despite the horrible situation he's in with his desperately poorly son, he's been successful at this. The Just Giving page attached to those closely involved with him and Alfie's Army have raised well over £100k for expenses and treatment/costs etc. He's also become a familiar face, via interviews, on TV and in the papers. It all just leaves a weird taste in my mouth. I don't want to say anymore, but it does.