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There’s not enough out there about RFK jr’s germ theory denialism

There’s a ton out there about his anti-vax statements, promotion of raw milk, opposition to flouride in water. But a lot of people seem to just not understand him. They’ll say “well there’s a lot I actually agree with him on” since he’ll say oh I want healthier school lunches and I want to have food standards similar to Europe, so people just think he’s a well-intentioned guy who just happens to hold some way out there views. They think he’s illogical, when really there’s a very dangerous logic going on here, and that’s that he doesn’t believe in germ theory.

This was really annoying me today at the hearing, the dems (the only people who would attack him save for one or two republicans who offered slight pushback) were so entirely focused on vaccines and Medicaid that Kennedy’s entire outlook on health went over their head. There was like one question rushed at the end where someone asked do you believe germs cause disease and Kennedy just said yes and that was it. Kennedy doesn’t believe in germ theory, not really. Maybe he’s not the most vehement germ theory denier but he’s not really on board with it. And private healthcare loves this because it blames the individual for health. You brought this upon yourself by having diabetes, by being old, by being immunocompromised, by having a bad diet etc etc, and so why should private healthcare pay. Explains why Kennedy kept going on about how people have to take responsibility for their own health. Feel like this is going over people’s heads as he’s portrayed as just some weird eccentric, rather than pushing what is fundamentally eugenics wrapped up in germ theory denialism. Anyway that’s it, rant over.

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19 comments

  • someone asked do you believe germs cause disease and Kennedy just said yes and that was it

    What's wrong with that answer?

    • It was at literally the very end as all the senators were running out of the room to try and get to a confirmation vote and the chairman was trying to get whoever it was who asked to yield since her time was up. So it was sort of glossed over, and of course Kennedy’s gonna say yes, he’s not gonna go to his confirmation hearing and say he doesn’t believe in germs. It wasn’t dug into at all, and the senator said well I have more that I’d like to submit to the record, specifically she was talking about shit from his book where he lays out his sort of softcore terrain theory where he doesn’t necessarily reject germ theory but laments that it’s the prevailing view in medicine and lays out his beliefs that germs aren’t actually that big a deal.

      Sorry that’s what I meant. Too much that I didn’t want to type. I wish they had dug into it more but instead it was some throwaway question at the very end that why the hell would Kennedy answer anything but yes.

      • This book?

        Not trying to grill you.

        I'm just curious about his unhingedness.

        • Yeah lol that’s the one.

          I mean, it’s really not the worst possible belief system one can have. He’s essentially just laser focused on improving Americans’ diet and lifestyles to become healthier. Which…isn’t a bad thing. And he’s right that things like diet and exercise will keep the body strong to fight disease.

          But he leans on this understanding of the immune system where it is literally the only thing that decides whether one gets sick or not. To the point where germs don’t matter - which is where the logic behind that video going around where he’s wants the NIH to stop studying infectious diseases comes from. Why study infectious diseases if they don’t actually make you sick? It really all depends on the strength of your immune system. And therefore, why put resources towards public health if all we really need is stronger immune systems?

          And so then we get to what I think is the most dangerous part of this, which is that he’s essentially individualized disease. When you get sick, it’s your own fault. Like we saw during Covid, it’s the fault of underlying disease, obesity, age. If someone is young and healthy, then we blame diet, processed foods. Maybe they used drugs or used to, or they’re a former smoker. Anything but Covid itself. And so if you die, or get disabled, hey it’s a tragedy, but you brought it upon yourself because of some personal failing or inherent imperfection. Eugenicist thinking.

          And private healthcare loves this since it gives them any number of reasons to deny coverage. Kennedy went on an on today about “putting people in charge of their own healthcare.” I totally agree with lifestyle changes so that people can be healthier, but first of all we haven’t created a world amenable to healthy lifestyles, and second of all we don’t need to flirt with germ theory denial to live healthier.

          Sorry went off a little there lol

19 comments