this post was submitted on 04 Nov 2023
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politics

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At an anti-vaccine conference in Georgia on Friday, presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. confirmed his commitment to the cause and spoke to his base about how he, as president, would serve the movement he built.

“I feel like I’ve come home today,” he said to a standing ovation, crediting the assembled audience with his candidacy.

He then laid out his vision for a Kennedy presidency, which would include telling the National Institutes of Health to take “a break” from studying infectious diseases, like Covid-19 and measles, and pivoting the agency to the study of chronic diseases, like diabetes and obesity. Kennedy has suggested without evidence that researchers and pharmaceutical companies are driven by profit to neglect such chronic conditions and invest in ineffective and even harmful treatments; he includes vaccines among them.

“I’m gonna say to NIH scientists, God bless you all,” Kennedy said. “Thank you for public service. We’re going to give infectious disease a break for about eight years.”

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[–] TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 82 points 1 year ago (3 children)

If there was a Russian psyops campaign to destroy the US from within, it would look like the modern Republican party. This guy is just the garnish.

[–] Reality_Suit@lemmy.one 22 points 1 year ago

Claim to be true Americans, act as anti-American as possible.

[–] mindlight@lemm.ee 10 points 1 year ago
[–] TechyDad@lemmy.world 36 points 1 year ago

"We're going to give infectious diseases a break for 8 years."

Oh, so all our takes to stop all infectious diseases is to just call Time Out for a few years? Why did nobody think of this before! This RFK Jr. guy must be a genius. Surely, the infectious diseases won't just keep infecting and killing people during his Time Out!!!

[–] Jordan117@lemmy.world 32 points 1 year ago

Beyond parody. Jesus fucking Christ.

[–] Rapidcreek@reddthat.com 11 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Say whatever stupid thing you want - not like there is any chance you will ever be President.

[–] Newby@startrek.website 16 points 1 year ago (2 children)

You get the same was said about trump and look how that turned out.

[–] Rapidcreek@reddthat.com 5 points 1 year ago

RFK isn't Trump, but he'll take votes from him.

[–] 520@kbin.social 3 points 1 year ago

Trump had a brand and first-mover advantage. RFK has neither.

[–] raynethackery@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

We have enough money to research both.

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago

“Thank you for public service. We’re going to give infectious disease a break for about eight years.”

I hope viruses will qualify for unemployment.

[–] JustZ@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

We know that there will be more pandemics in the decades to come. This dude is a complete dumbass actively trying to harm American security.

[–] Cqrd@lemmy.dbzer0.com 0 points 1 year ago

He was hyped up by conservatives with the ultimate goal to steal votes from Biden, but he found his home with Trump supporters. Now that he's registered as an independent, guess who he's stealing votes from... Really back fired on them.

[–] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 7 points 1 year ago

Anti vaccine conference

Three words I'd never thought I'd hear in one combination. These people, as far as I'm concerned, should be arrested. Fuck it, I'm done with the "but muh freedoms". You're not free to be so retarded that you can be allowed to destroy the world. Fuck. That. Shit.

[–] GoofSchmoofer@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

pharmaceutical companies are driven by profit to neglect such chronic conditions [obesity and diabetes]

I would think there are multi billions of dollars to be made in solving these two conditions.

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

There's literally an obesity-fighting drug now. Ozempic. It's way too expensive, but it exists.

[–] Meuzzin@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

There's a lot more money to be made if they can drag out the treatments of said illnesses instead of solving them.

[–] autotldr@lemmings.world 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

This is the best summary I could come up with:


At an anti-vaccine conference in Georgia on Friday, presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. confirmed his commitment to the cause and spoke to his base about how he, as president, would serve the movement he built.

Kennedy has suggested without evidence that researchers and pharmaceutical companies are driven by profit to neglect such chronic conditions and invest in ineffective and even harmful treatments; he includes vaccines among them.

In the hourlong speech, Kennedy covered well-worn subjects, railing against the evils of pharmaceutical companies, warning against researchers who he said improperly frame scientific findings for profit, and expounding on conspiracy theories around Covid measures, including what he called the “totalitarian regime” that controls public health and censorship of dissenting voices.

Siri is a lawyer who has done millions of dollars of work for leading anti-vaccination groups, including a recent case that opened up religious exemptions for childhood vaccines in Mississippi.

Earlier speakers included other heroes of the anti-vaccine movement: Paul Thomas, an Oregon pediatrician whose medical license was suspended and ultimately surrendered after he failed to adequately vaccinate his patients; James Lyons-Weiler, an activist who incorrectly claims a gene sequence in Covid proves the laboratory-origin hypothesis; and Andrew Wakefield, the physician stripped of his license over a retracted study that popularized the false belief that the measles, mumps and rubella vaccines cause autism.

After his remarks, attendees were invited to a cocktail reception and dinner with Children’s Health Defense leaders, conference speakers and “medical freedom fighters.” The event is to include a silent auction and a ceremony for the group’s new “Defender Award.” The award’s inaugural recipient, recognized for “his courage and steadfast commitment to truth and liberty,” is Robert F. Kennedy Jr.


The original article contains 914 words, the summary contains 282 words. Saved 69%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!

[–] F_Haxhausen@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

Why does he think diabetes or obesity are real?

[–] qwertyWarlord@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

I mean they just make it so easy, so easy to stay away from them. In what world do these dumb fucks think they have any kind of majority support? Biden is going to win because people don't want literal batshit crazy

[–] SkunkWorkz@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago

There is a cure for type-2 diabetes and obesity. It’s called a healthy diet, like intermittent fasting, and exercise.