Dumb and Dumber: RFK Jr.'s confirmation hearing is a glimpse into what's wrong with America
Unapologetic medical conspiracy theorist's problem isn't that he drank the Kool-Aid, he's selling it
The difference between disinformation and misinformation is intelligence and ignorance, intent and confusion.
Disinformation is false and misleading information that is intentionally spread to sow fear and distrust. Misinformation is sharing the same crap because you got tricked into thinking it's true.
Think Joe Rogan and Barry Neufeld. The former knows damn well that he spreads lies and gives voice to liars on his podcasts. The latter is too dumb to understand what he actually believes is bunk.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sure seems to be a moron, but he knows vaccinations work, which is why he has his children vaccinated. He tells other parents not to because there is money to be made off tricking anti-vaxxers and lawsuits against pharmaceutical giants.
RFK Jr. might be part of the cause, but I don't think he's actually the problem. The problem is uneducated, media illiterate Americans who fall for medical disinformation from him and the loads of it we saw during the worst of the pandemic.
During his senate confirmation as health secretary he was fed his own crazy words and he looked stunned and surprised at his own disinformation every time. Maybe he used to have a brain parasite? Or maybe he has one this week.
5 things RFK Jr. once said or wrote as fed back to him during his senate confirmation hearing:
2. “Lyme disease is highly likely a militarilly engineered bioweapon.”
3. “Exposure to pesticides causes children to be transgender.”
4. “It’s undeniable that African AIDS is a entirely different disease from Western AIDS.”
5. “Flouride is associated with arthritis, bone fractures, bone cancer, IQ loss, neurodevelopmental disorders, and thyroid disease.”
Bernie Sanders showed RFK Jr. photos of baby onesies with anti-vaxxer messaging on it.
“Are you supportive of these baby onesies?” he demanded.
Kennedy looked stunned: “Excuse me?”
“These are being sold by the Children’s Health Defense, the organization you founded,” Sanders pointed out.
“I... I don’t have oversight over that organization anymore,” Kennedy mumbled.
Sanders cracked his knuckles like a man ready to fistfight a CEO and leaned in.“Are you supportive of these onesies?”
Kennedy started sweating and laughter could be heard. One social media poster pointed out that a Republican senator actually covered his face.
Then Elizabeth Warren took the mic.
“Will you commit to not taking money from pharmaceutical companies while serving as Secretary of Health?” she asked, knowing the answer.
Kennedy grinned smugly.
“I don’t think they’d want to give me money,” he said with a smile.
Warren did not.
“Will you commit to not profiting from lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies while serving as HHS Secretary?”
Kennedy looked stunned, yet again.
“You’re asking me not to sue drug companies? No, I’m not going to agree to that.”
Warren pounced.
“So you’ll be suing the same companies you’re supposed to regulate?”
Then came Michael Bennet, who was the best and was clearly chomping at the bit for his turn.
“Did you say that Lyme disease was a militarily engineered bioweapon?” Bennet asked, deadpan.
Kennedy hesitated: “I probably said that.”
Bennet pivoted: “Did you say that pesticides turn children transgender?”
Kennedy, stunned again: “I don’t recall saying that.”
“But you do recall saying Lyme disease was a bioweapon?” Bennet retorted.
And on it went.
His confirmation hearing continues on Thursday and Americans wait and wonder if a Kennedy who used to do heroin and believes every medical conspiracy under the sun will become the man in charge of health care in the most powerful nation on Earth.
Did I forget to mention flouride?
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Paul J. Henderson
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