Rant The unfortunately necessary RFK Jr. thread

[IronWing]

I'm aware of the back story, just that the quote makes no sense to me. What's political correctness got to do with how best to deal with the remains of a dead bear?

The official seems to think that RFK wouldn't pass the background check because he's nuts. He also seems to think that background checks are a form of political correctness.

 

[nakedfrog]

I'm aware of the back story, just that the quote makes no sense to me. What's political correctness got to do with how best to deal with the remains of a dead bear?

It's probably just something to say rather than "actually we were just using him", since they hand-waved a clearance for Jared Kushner. Just as a reminder: they're going to say and do a lot of things that don't hold up to any level of logical or reasonable scrutiny, as they did before.

 

[mikeymikec]

The official seems to think that RFK wouldn't pass the background check because he's nuts. He also seems to think that background checks are a form of political correctness.

That would make sense, since probably at least half the GQP will have ties to Russia and so therefore would dismiss that the background checks have substantial value.

 

[Thump553]

It certainly would be prudent to make sure all your inoculations are current and get any needed before January. It's all part of planning to prevent as much of Trump's incoming damage to not affect you personally.

 

[nakedfrog]

It certainly would be prudent to make sure all your inoculations are current and get any needed before January. It's all part of planning to prevent as much of Trump's incoming damage to not affect you personally.

Will the increase in forced birth rates offset the increased child mortality? Time will tell! (Or not, since RFK Jr. may not be making it into the ranks anyway...)

 

[dank69]

Is RFK definitely out? I am still seeing a lot of talk about him taking over HHS

 

[Perknose]

Is RFK definitely out? I am still seeing a lot of talk about him taking over HHS

You need better friends.

 

[iRONic]

Is RFK definitely out? I am still seeing a lot of talk about him taking over HHS

On the contrary, he was just officially nominated.

https://www.politico.com/news/2024/11/14/robert-f-kennedy-jr-trump-hhs-secretary-pick-00188617

 

[Perknose]

You need better friends.

Holy shit, I need better friends. At the very least, I need to remember to never even entertain the notion that Trump can't go lower.

 

[nakedfrog]

Holy shit, I need better friends. At the very least, I need to remember to never even entertain the notion that Trump can't go lower.

That's a difficult task, because he continues to plumb new depths that were heretofore unimaginable.

 

[pmv]

The official seems to think that RFK wouldn't pass the background check because he's nuts. He also seems to think that background checks are a form of political correctness.

Would the brain-worm have to undergo an independent background check?

 

[repoman0]

The brainworm is driving what’s left of the human husk. Only one background check needed and it’s for the worm.

 

[UNCjigga]

I just can’t get over this photo. Seriously, how does Trump do it? How does he take a former political foe from across the aisle, suck him into his orbit, turn them into an ally…and then make them, quite literally, publicly eat shit and go against the very thing that propelled them into politics in the first place????

Eating McDonald’s has got to be worse than eating half rotted bear or whale carcass to someone like RFK Jr.

 

[Brainonska511]

I just can’t get over this photo. Seriously, how does Trump do it? How does he take a former political foe from across the aisle, suck him into his orbit, turn them into an ally…and then make them, quite literally, publicly eat shit and go against the very thing that propelled them into politics in the first place????

Eating McDonald’s has got to be worse than eating half rotted bear or whale carcass to someone like RFK Jr.

Was RFK Jr really "across the aisle" or a "political foe"? RFK Jr was more like competition for the grifting operation. Now they've combined forces like some kind of Grifting Voltron.

 

[Fenixgoon]

I just can’t get over this photo. Seriously, how does Trump do it? How does he take a former political foe from across the aisle, suck him into his orbit, turn them into an ally…and then make them, quite literally, publicly eat shit and go against the very thing that propelled them into politics in the first place????

Eating McDonald’s has got to be worse than eating half rotted bear or whale carcass to someone like RFK Jr.

Remember when government officials weren't supposed to endorse any business? Yeah....

 

[IronWing]

Remember when government officials weren't supposed to endorse any business? Yeah....

By appointment to HM the Lard Ass

 

[KMFJD]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1871930864449511469

holy shit, there's something he's for that i can actually get behind, it's a Christmas miracle

 

[Brainonska511]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1871930864449511469

holy shit, there's something he's for that i can actually get behind, it's a Christmas miracle

Nothing wrong with drug advertisement, considering we live in a society of patient empowerment and doctors not always knowing what is available (they watch TV too).

A better solution would be for doctors to understand what drugs cost more and what might be lower cost solutions, and direct patients to those to try first.

 

[gorobei]

Nothing wrong with drug advertisement, considering we live in a society of patient empowerment and doctors not always knowing what is available (they watch TV too).

A better solution would be for doctors to understand what drugs cost more and what might be lower cost solutions, and direct patients to those to try first.

drug manufacturers have teams of sales reps with entire lists of doctors. they make the rounds promoting their latest and greatest and giving out free samples. most of the time the doctor doesnt even have time to do the research to verify the claims or the statistical significance of the "improvements" if it isnt in their specialty.

 

[pmv]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1871930864449511469

holy shit, there's something he's for that i can actually get behind, it's a Christmas miracle

Taken as a whole he seems completely nuts to me, but there are maybe one-or-two 'stopped clock' cases among his stances, where he might be on the right side by accident. But I do wonder how those things will play out when they come into conflict with the general Trump agenda.

 

[Brainonska511]

drug manufacturers have teams of sales reps with entire lists of doctors. they make the rounds promoting their latest and greatest and giving out free samples. most of the time the doctor doesnt even have time to do the research to verify the claims or the statistical significance of the "improvements" if it isnt in their specialty.

The improvements are in fact real.

But if a doctor is going to prescribe something, maybe they should take some responsibility to understand even just some rudimentary info about it - they conveniently put all the information needed in the label.

And if something isn't their specialty, then they should be referring the patient out.

 

[pmv]

The improvements are in fact real.

But if a doctor is going to prescribe something, maybe they should take some responsibility to understand even just some rudimentary info about it - they conveniently put all the information needed in the label.

And if something isn't their specialty, then they should be referring the patient out.

Advertising is not merely 'conveying information' though. It's propaganda and sales promotion with a huge vested-interest involved. (And it can mislead doctors and patients alike)

The general issue does my head in, tbh.

I find it really hard to trust doctors, when it comes to this stuff. Ultimately the problem is that _their_ wellbeing is not at stake, the patient's is. It's not a relationship of equal power/stakes.

We are constantly told to take responsibility for our own health, and yet at the same time doctors seem to _hate_ it it a patient attempts to educate themselves about their own condition and/or its potential treatments. They don't like anyone questioning their authority.

 

[Brainonska511]

Advertising is not merely 'conveying information' though. It's propaganda and sales promotion with a huge vested-interest involved. (And it can mislead doctors and patients alike)

The general issue does my head in, tbh.

I find it really hard to trust doctors, when it comes to this stuff. Ultimately the problem is that _their_ wellbeing is not at stake, the patient's is. It's not a relationship of equal power/stakes.

We are constantly told to take responsibility for our own health, and yet at the same time doctors seem to _hate_ it it a patient attempts to educate themselves about their own condition and/or its potential treatments. They don't like anyone questioning their authority.

The US doesn't have as much a cult of paternalism in medicine delivery as other countries may have, and shared decision making is paramount to delivering care (with that whole informed consent stuff).

And of course doctors may get grumpy if someone is constantly questioning even the simplest, and most accepted practices (like vaccination): they are literally an expert on human health and the patient is generally just a lay person.
---
Anyway, on the point of advertising - doctors in the US are well aware of the motives of pharmaceutical companies: part of it is to help people, but the other part is to obviously make money. But advertising cannot be misleading, and per OPDP regulations, must provide fair balance between efficacy and safety. And materials geared towards physicians often is required to contain information about trial populations to further contextualize the information. Basically, everything must always be consistent with the prescribing information (the label).

In the US, if you think you're seeing a misleading or bad advertisement, feel free to make a claim under the FDA's BadAd program.

 

[pmv]

And of course doctors may get grumpy if someone is constantly questioning even the simplest, and most accepted practices (like vaccination): they are literally an expert on human health and the patient is generally just a lay person.

Yeah, not my experience. My experience is they get grumpy if a patient either presents with symptoms or has a diagnosed condition that exposes the limitations of their knowledge. The longer this goes on the grumpier and ruder doctors tend to get.

 

[KMFJD]

Nothing wrong with drug advertisement, considering we live in a society of patient empowerment and doctors not always knowing what is available (they watch TV too).

A better solution would be for doctors to understand what drugs cost more and what might be lower cost solutions, and direct patients to those to try first.

i dunno, it seems to work in every other country, American exceptionalism i guess? (I believe NZ is the only other country that allows this at the moment)