Support for RFK Jr.? Please tell me you’re kidding…
It took me a while to soak it in and come up with a cogent response to recent support from Mark Hyman, MD for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS).
My reaction to his comments? I was and continue to be appalled by the remarks.
Dr. Hyman has proven himself a leader in our field, and I have held him in high regard as a partner in the fight against the inadequacies of the US healthcare system. Now, I have my doubts.
My response?
The agenda put forth by Not Dr. Kennedy Jr. is based on one man’s opinion about healthcare and mostly lacks basis in science or credible evidence. It’s a step backward in time and indicates a general lack of an ability to use critical thinking skills.
My personal opinions about Not Dr. Kennedy Jr. aside, the facts are simple. Not Dr. Kennedy Jr. openly embraces conspiracy theories, is an admitted heroin user (promoting it as some sort of mental super-accelerator), a racist, an anti-semite, and an anti-science crusader. Many of his positions have been disproven, yet no changes to those positions have been evident. Misinformation and disinformation rule the day.
Not Dr. Kennedy Jr.
We can all appreciate that Not Dr. Kennedy Jr. has an open mind to fostering new approaches and discarding the old standards. We can be fierce advocates for change, innovation, and moving the ball forward at all times. However, we can also know that Not Dr. Kennedy Jr. is not the man for this critical position.
To the point made about doctors not typically holding this position; This is not strictly a medical professional’s area of expertise. However, a combination of medical knowledge and public policy experience might be an ideal mix, couldn’t it? Where has the past taken us? To have one of the worst public health policies and systems in the entire world, that’s where.
Not Dr. Kennedy Jr. and The Make America Great Again PAC (MAHA)’s agenda includes combatting chronic disease, regenerative agriculture, habitat preservation, combatting corporate corruption, and removing toxins from the environment. All good things to target, but where is the proof that Not Dr. Kennedy Jr. done anything of substance in these areas?
Not Dr. Kennedy Jr. also claims he can deliver measurable results in chronic disease reduction within two years (as directed by Not Dr. Mr. President). He plans to remove large swaths of the agency staff. He intends to curtail vaccination activities. His positions on and support for Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security are wildly unclear.
Project 2025
Project 2025 is firmly dedicated to the obliteration of sexual and reproductive health rights, rolling back affordable care, rolling back antidiscrimination protections, and politicization of the government at every level (among other egregious positions meant to dehumanize people across the board).
Anyone who thinks Project 2025 and the MAHA PAC are not driving this administration and its policies is sadly misinformed.
However, the promises are not all bad. Plans call for more federal funding for root cause research, giving patients more health and wellness options, including coverage by Medicare and Medicaid for alternative treatments such as the ability to see functional medicine doctors and more focus on nutrition and exercise over pharmaceuticals. These are only promises. Now, let’s see some results.
Not Dr. Kennedy Jr. has told us who he is, and we should believe him. His confirmation languishes, so let’s keep it there and move on. There are better choices, so let’s demand that someone else be moved up for consideration.
Don’t just sit back and hope for the best. Join the fight.
