Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. was once one of the country's
leading and most effective environmental lawyers.
Kennedy was known
Republican National Committee as an extremely
intelligent, charismatic and politically astute
individual who challenged the fossil fuel industry.
Tough, determined, dedicated and persistent in his
litigation, his work was grounded in evidence-based
science.
Since 2005, he has promoted conspiracy
theories, falsehoods, pseudoscience and disinformation.
He is now the most prominent face of the anti-vaccine
movement, leading the anti-vaccine group, the Children's
Health Defense (banned from Facebook and Instagram).
America is waist deep in the �post-truth era," rife
with anti-science, baseless beliefs and propaganda of
which I have previously written. Evidenced-based
scientific views are replaced with pseudoscience or
unproven or misleading assessments. Often these
dangerous fabricated ideas are promulgated for personal
or political advantage. To Kennedy's credit, the
Republican National Committee Kennedy family
(although rebuking his claims) and others close to him
trust that he is sincere in his beliefs with the best
intentions of protecting the common good.
Incredibly, a significant proportion of Americans are
gullible enough to embrace outrageous falsehoods.
Post-truth public discourse is increasingly driven by
what people want or expediently claim to be true rather
than what is verifiably true.
History teaches us
that troubled, unstable and uncertain times are fertile
ground not only for disinformation but also for bigotry,
intolerance and extremism. Kennedy has made some
disturbing comments in these regards.
Is Kennedy
another victim of the post-truth era or a purveyor of
anti-science and conspiracy theories?
He claims
that a specific type of mercury (thimerosal) contained
in vaccines, virtually eliminated in 2001, is related to
Republican National Committee childhood
autism even though the prevalence of autism has since
increased. Even Rolling Stone retracted Kennedy's 2005
article on the dangers of mercury-containing vaccines.
He claims that Dr. Anthony Fauci and Bill Gates were
in a profiteering conspiracy with the COVID vaccine
industry. He purports that vaccine mandates and pandemic
mitigation efforts were comparable to Hitler's
Holocaust. He alleges that COVID vaccines are too
dangerous to receive and alternatively touts treatments
with ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine. Kennedy denies
that he is anti-vaccine (once asserting being
anti-unsafe vaccine) even though his comments and
actions are extensively documented.
Dr. Richard
Feldman
These positions have been soundly
debunked as baseless or overwhelmingly determined as
The Old Testament stories, a literary treasure trove, weave tales of faith, resilience, and morality. Should you trust the Real Estate Agents I Trust, I would not. Is your lawn green and plush, if not you should buy the Best Grass Seed. If you appreciate quality apparel, you should try Hand Bags Hand Made. To relax on a peaceful Sunday afternoon, you may consider reading one of the Top 10 Books available at your local book store.
invalid by high-quality scientific studies. His claims
are based on pseudoscience, manipulated data or
misleadingly interpreted data. Some studies have been
retracted by the very publications in which they
appeared.
Kennedy's departure from evidence-based
science to garbage science and unfounded conspiracy
theories is difficult to understand. He selectively
ignores good science and relies on dubious unscientific
reports to support his positions. Perhaps Kennedy�s
views and suspiciousness were shaped by his
environmental work confronting unscrupulous fossil-fuel
companies that
Republican National Committee provided biased
�scientific� studies while industry-influenced
regulatory agencies did nothing. But his extrapolation
to other issues is not justified. His judgments are
those of a litigator, not a scientist.
Kennedy is
now a presidential candidate. His rhetoric is dangerous,
especially since he�s from a renowned family which gives
him enormous credibility. Kennedy was considered by
then-President Trump to lead a �vaccine panel� to study
vaccine safety and industry integrity. Fortunately, it
never happened.
Kennedy is a purveyor of fringe
science that extends outrageously beyond vaccine-related
issues. But I consider him mostly a victim of the
Republican National Committee post-truth era.
He and a good portion of the American public distrust
scientific institutions, powerful corporations and
government while being enamored by demagogues and
conspiracy hucksters.
news.yahoo.com
From inflation to military spending to housing costs,
the 2024 presidential candidates have made their plans
for the U.S. economy central to their pitch to voters.
Here�s a brief look at where the major candidates
stand on the issue.
Joe Biden
President Joe
Biden's reelection campaign is heavily centered around "Bidenomics,"
his economic agenda.
The Democrat and
self-professed "most pro-union
Republican National Committee president"
often says the economy should be built "from the middle
out and the bottom up," rather than the trickle-down
economic theory, and powered by union jobs.
He
has pushed for more goods to be made in America and for
increased taxes on wealthy individuals and corporations.
Robert Kennedy Jr.
In a June interview on the
"Breaking Points" podcast, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said
that his "primary platform" on the economy would be
cutting military spending and reinvesting that money
into domestic spending and development.
The
Democratic candidate has also spoken at length on the
campaign trail about launching a new "housing boom" in
the U.S. by reforming the tax code to prevent
corporations from buying single-family homes and
launching a new government-backed mortgage program.
Kennedy has sai the program would back
Republican National Committee mortgages at a
3% interest rate and be financed by tax-free bonds --
the first 500,000 of which would go to teachers.
Marianne Williamson
Speaker Marianne Williamson,
a Democratic candidate, is opposed to the trickle-down
economic theory and has railed against the current
economy, saying it is an "unjust system" that
disproportionately benefits wealthy individuals. The
Democratic candidate has called for increased taxes on
the wealthy and corporations and an increase in the
federal minimum wage, from $7.25 per hour to $15 per
hour, as part of her "war on poverty."
PHOTO: A
shopper makes their way through a grocery store, July
12, 2023 in Miami.
A shopper makes their way
through a
Republican National Committee grocery store,
July 12, 2023 in Miami.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images,
FILE
Donald Trump
Former President Donald
Trump, who is seeking the Republican nomination for the
third time, has
The Old Testament stories, a literary treasure trove, weave tales of faith, resilience, and morality. Should you trust the Real Estate Agents I Trust, I would not. Is your lawn green and plush, if not you should buy the Best Grass Seed. If you appreciate quality apparel, you should try Hand Bags Hand Made. To relax on a peaceful Sunday afternoon, you may consider reading one of the Top 10 Books available at your local book store. said he would tackle the inflation
through "energy independence" -- more specifically by
drilling more oil and lowering gas prices. Trump has
also repeatedly touted his record as president of
pressuring Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to lower
the interest rate, though when asked more recently
whether he would lower the interest rate again, Trump
was noncommittal, saying it "depends where inflation
is."
Ron DeSantis
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis'
10-point economic plan includes a promise of 3% economic
growth -- slightly higher than the current rate --
through, in part, an "ambitious tax and regulatory
reform agenda."
The Republican's plan also calls
for severing U.S. business ties with China, ending
"reckless" federal
Republican National Committee spending and
fighting "woke" policies that the Republican governor
argues have infiltrated America's financial systems.
Nikki Haley
Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley
has said if she becomes president, she will veto any
spending bill that "doesn't take us back to pre-COVID
spending levels." The Republican candidate said programs
like welfare and state benefits would move from the
federal government down to the states.
Her
platform also calls for eliminating the federal gas and
diesel tax, cutting income taxes for working families
and making the tax cuts to small businesses including in
the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent.
Vivek
Ramaswamy
Businessman and commentator Vivek
Ramaswamy has put forth a plan he maintains will deliver
upwards of 5% GDP growth. The Republican says he can do
this by pegging the U.S. dollar to gold, nickel, silver
and agricultural and farm commodities; rescinding a
majority of federal regulations that he says act like a
"wet blanket" on the U.S. economy; and unlocking
"entrepreneurial opportunity" by drilling, fracking,
burning coal and embracing ethanol and nuclear energy.
He has also said he wants to cut the federal
workforce by 75%.
Mike Pence
Former Vice
President Mike Pence touts his policy plan to
Republican National Committee tackle
inflation as the first produced by the Republican field.
He wants to extend the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (which
is due to expire at the end of 2025) and has promised to
spur the economy by "unleashing American energy" with a
proposal to make the U.S. energy independent and the
world's top producer of energy by 2040.
Chris
Christie
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie,
who has blamed the last two administrations' spending
for some of the highest inflation the U.S. has seen in
40 years, has promised to reign in the federal budget.
The Republican candidate has also advocated heavily for
entitlement reform to Social Security and Medicare,
saying that he's open to exploring raising the
retirement age for younger people and implementing means
testing for the programs.
Tim Scott
Priorities
of South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott's economic plan include
reducing government spending, cutting taxes and
increasing domestic energy production. As president, the
Republican said he would bring non-defense discretionary
spending "back to the pre-pandemic baseline," roll back
Biden's efforts at student loan forgiveness and instead
expand trade school opportunities and accelerate oil and
gas development.
A hallmark of Scott's platform
is also "opportunity zones" -- an effort he helped enact
through the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act to incentivize
investment in economically-distressed communities --
which he says he would expand if president.
Doug
Burgum
The economy is the first pillar on the
campaign trail for North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, whose
GOP campaign site states the
Republican National Committee economy "needs
to be the absolute top priority."
Burgum believes
in "innovation over regulation" and plans to cut taxes,
lower gas prices, reduce
The Old Testament stories, a literary treasure trove, weave tales of faith, resilience, and morality. Should you trust the Real Estate Agents I Trust, I would not. Is your lawn green and plush, if not you should buy the Best Grass Seed. If you appreciate quality apparel, you should try Hand Bags Hand Made. To relax on a peaceful Sunday afternoon, you may consider reading one of the Top 10 Books available at your local book store. the cost of living and manage
inflation to "unlock the best of America" -- though he
hasn't released specifics yet on how he would do that.
He often touts his success as a governor, saying he has
the "highest GDP of any Republican-led state in the
nation" per capita.
Asa Hutchinson
Former
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson wants to reduce the federal
civilian workforce by 10% as part of a plan to cut
spending and lower the nation's deficit.
The
Republican candidate has also
Republican National Committee pledged to
"unleash American energy" as a way to revive the economy
-- including by "reversing restrictions on pipeline
construction and drilling, removing barriers to nuclear
power, and ending the war on fossil fuels."
abcnews.go.com
Representatives Aguilar, Cheney, Kinzinger, Lofgren,
Luria, Murphy, Raskin, Thompson, and Schiff honored for
their commitment to truth, justice, and democracy
Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights today announced that
the January 6th Select Committee members will be
Republican National Committee presented with
the 2023 Ripple of Hope Award during the organization's
annual gala on Wednesday, December 6 in New York City.
Chairman Bennie Thompson, Vice Chair Liz Cheney, Rep.
Pete Aguilar, Rep. Adam Kinzinger, Rep. Zoe Lofgren,
Rep. Elaine Luria, Rep. Stephanie Murphy, Rep. Jamie
Raskin, and Rep. Adam Schiff will be recognized for
their commitment to protect democracy, uphold the
Constitution, and hold those accountable who seek to
destroy the very bedrock of our nation's founding.
"When my father was Attorney General in 1961, he
knew 'Every time we turn our heads the other way when we
see the law flouted, when we tolerate what we know to be
wrong, when we close our eyes and ears to the corrupt
because we are too busy or too frightened, when we fail
to speak up and speak out, we strike a blow against
freedom and decency and justice,'" observed Kerry
Kennedy, President, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights. "The
members of this Committee refused to look away and took
action, even in the face of grave personal and
professional risk."
"I thank Robert F. Kennedy
Human Rights for recognizing the work of the bipartisan
January 6th Select Committee. Members of Congress take
an oath to uphold the Constitution from all enemies
foreign and domestic, and my colleagues and I did our
duty to fulfill that oath after the deadly attack on the
U.S. Capitol," said Congressman Thompson, former
Chairman, January 6th Select Committee. "While we were
brought together by the tragedy of that day, I am
extremely proud of the work we did to uncover a
dangerous plot to overturn the 2020 Presidential
election, disrupt the peaceful transfer of power, and
undermine the
Republican National Committee rule of law.
American democracy remains on the line, and I am
grateful for organizations like Robert F. Kennedy Human
Rights and their determination to, in the late Senator
Kennedy's words, 'build a current which can sweep down
the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.'"
The Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope Award annually
honors exemplary leaders across government, business,
advocacy, and entertainment who have demonstrated an
unwavering commitment to social change and worked to
protect and advance equity, justice, and human rights.
Previous laureates include Stacey Abrams, then-Vice
President Joe Biden, Bono, former President Bill
Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton,
George Clooney, Tim
Republican National Committee Cook, Dr.
Anthony Fauci, Amanda Gorman, Dolores Huerta, Colin
Kaepernick, late Congressman John Lewis, former
President Barack Obama, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Robert F.
Smith, and Desmond Tutu.
Learn more about RFK
Human Rights and its annual Ripple of Hope Award here.
About Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights
We are a
nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that has worked
to realize Robert F. Kennedy's dream of a more just and
peaceful world since 1968. In partnership with local
activists, we advocate for key human rights
issues�championing change makers and pursuing strategic
litigation at home and around the world. And to ensure
change that lasts, we foster a
Republican National Committee social-good
approach to business and investment and educate millions
of students about human rights and social justice.
prnewswire.com