Dozens Of Nobel Laureates Signal Letter Opposing RFK Jr. As Trump’s Well being Secretary
RFK Jr. is a dishonest anti-vaxxer who poses a grave danger to our well being companies and the well being of kids. Sincere medical doctors acknowledge the risk and are usually not afraid to name it out. In line with the article Dozens Of Nobel Laureates Signal Letter Opposing RFK Jr. As Trump’s Well being Secretary:
Seventy-seven Nobel prize winners on Monday despatched an open letter to the US Senate opposing the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Donald Trump’s selection for Secretary of Well being and Human Providers (HHS), citing his “lack of credentials” and anti-vaccine beliefs.
“In view of his file, putting Mr. Kennedy in command of DHHS would put the general public’s well being in jeopardy,” concludes the letter signed by 77 Nobel recipients in drugs, chemistry, physics and economics.
It might be too late, however this the readability we’d like at this second. Everybody ought to watch the video under to grasp why.
Why Docs Ought to Be taught to Cease Worrying and Love MAHA.
Different medical doctors nevertheless, are much less clear-eyed and steadfast. As quackery and disinformation threaten core foundations of medication, they’re prepared to dissemble and revenue. Of their view, primary details are a only a matter of opinion, the stakes aren’t that top, and what actually issues is that nobody hurts their emotions or interferes with their income streams.
In a earlier article, I mentioned Dr. Adam Cifu and his willingness to stay with Smart Medication, a monetized misinformation Substack, after it revealed a propaganda article titled Why Docs Ought to Be taught to Cease Worrying and Love MAHA. As a substitute of deciding to cease making the most of such nauseating agitprop, as any pro-vaccine physician would do, Dr. Cifu stayed and revealed a rebuttal by Dr. David Taylor titled RFK Jr is NOT the Contrarian We Want.
I didn’t fault Dr. Taylor in my article, a mistake I’ll rectify right here, however fairly centered on Dr. Cifu’s introduction. He mentioned:
At Smart Medication, there may be nothing we like higher than spirited debate. It’s even higher when it occurs with out me having to reply to one in every of Dr. Prasad’s prompts. We welcome items arguing with something we publish. We’d a lot fairly folks submit sturdy responses to columns that seem right here than assault us for publishing items they disagree with.
Dr. David Taylor submitted this essay disagreeing with one in every of Dr. Joseph Marine’s latest columns (Why Docs Ought to Be taught to Cease Worrying and Love MAHA). Personally, I’ve been frightened that in some folks’s eagerness to maneuver on from the established order, they’ve been too prepared to disregard worrisome indicators about what comes subsequent. I’ve additionally heard folks grant appointees opinions that they hope they maintain, with out proof that they really do. I believe Dr. Taylor echoes, and extends, my worries.
In my dialogue of those sentiments, I famous that I might instantly disassociate myself from any group that revealed pro-RFK Jr disinformation. If body-snatchers received to Drs. David Gorski and Steve Novella and SBM revealed Why Docs Ought to Be taught to Cease Worrying and Love MAHA, my remaining publish right here can be of shock and disgust.
No matter Dr. Cifu will get paid from this aspect undertaking, I believe that he earned it by getting that anti-RFK Jr article in entrance of the Smart Medication subscribers.
A SBM reader, NativeF1oridian, felt my perspective was missing, and that Dr. Taylor’s rebuttal was “a step in the correct route”. They offered me with this suggestions:
Making an attempt to get your fundamental argument straight… enable me to paraphrase. Dr. Adam Cifu wrote: “We’d a lot fairly folks submit sturdy responses to columns that seem right here than assault us for publishing items they disagree with.” Your interpretation revolves round the concept that is that he’s afraid of “assault”, and then you definately go on to explain all the explanations that an assault are warranted. You then quote from his manifesto: “Motivating biases needn’t be thought of nefarious, solely thought of.” Seeming disagreeing with the sentence, you might be satisfied that his monetization is nefarious. Later within the piece, you will have particular suggestions for a way he ought to reply: 1) disclose how a lot cash he makes from the Substack after which (2) “denounce” Smart Medication “and run away with disgrace in his coronary heart”.
I’ve a distinct interpretation. His quote was a foreword that was adopted by what would be the first clearly anti-RFK Jr. article posted by Smart Medication. In context, a extra charitable (and extra lifelike) interpretation is that he meant to emphasize that disagreements had been higher hashed out by way of dialogue (“sturdy responses”) fairly than character assassination (“assault”). To me, this type of disagreement inside the more and more misguided Medical Conservatives looks like a step in the correct route. Personally, I’m glad to listen to they’re having such discussions inside their group even when a lot of the commentors (and presumably contributors) disagree.
I’m tempted to be inspired by this improvement and hope that Dr. Cifu stays and continues to disagree with them about vaccine messaging and RFK Jr.
NativeF1oridian additionally wrote:
No matter Dr. Cifu will get paid from this aspect undertaking, I believe that he earned it by getting that anti-RFK Jr article in entrance of the Smart Medication subscribers.
In different phrases, NativeF1oridian felt it was good to hash it out. If a health care provider publishes a pro-RFK Jr. article, the correct response is to clarify why RFK Jr. is unsuitable, not “assault” the creator of the pro-RFK Jr. article. NativeF1oridian couldn’t fathom how an anti-RFK Jr. article could possibly be unhealthy in any approach. They agreed with Dr. Cifu that it is a time for “spirited debate” and “sturdy responses”. This all appears very wise.
But it surely’s not.
This isn’t the time for “spirited debate” about whether or not RFK Jr. is a risk. He’s clearly a risk, and that is the time for medical doctors to be united towards him. Simply because Dr. Cifu is studying about RFK Jr. for the primary time doesn’t imply the remainder of us are. Many people have been monitoring him for years, and we’ve nothing left to find out about him.
We additionally tried to warn folks about him, and now that he’s on the precipice of energy, we don’t have to have “spirited debate” with anybody who tells us to cease worrying and love him. That is particularly the case for Smart Medication medical doctors, who themselves unfold copious anti-vaccine misinformation about COVID. Our minds are made up about RFK Jr., and yours ought to be too. There isn’t any argument the place affordable folks will conclude, “You recognize what, perhaps RFK Jr. isn’t so unhealthy in any case.” The explanation why are apparent and widely-reported. If measles and pertussis come roaring again, we will certainly say “we tried to warn you.”
Defenders of RFK Jr. even have their minds made up. Smart Medication’s anti-RFK Jr. article didn’t educate them something both. Many issues in it had been essential and value repeating, comparable to Samoa, however every part in it had been reported 1,000 instances for years. Do you know he’s an anti-vaxxer? For RFK Jr.’s supporters, that is both a promoting level or value overlooking as a result of they imagine he’s proper about some imprecise, bigger reality. The overwhelming majority of commentators on Smart Medication took these pro-RFK Jr. positions, which reveals the viewers they’ve cultivated and nurtured. These persons are clients, and most of them are paying for pro-RFK Jr. content material.
Smart Medication’s anti-RFK Jr. article didn’t change anybody’s thoughts or educate anybody something. The “spirited debate” was simply empty theater, an mental parlor sport of wits and phrases performed by medical doctors who search to keep up the phantasm that their pro-RFK Jr. propaganda gained’t have any penalties in the actual world. It was additionally a approach for the leaders of Smart Medication to market themselves to potential clients as courageous defenders of “spirited debate” and “sturdy responses.”
Spirited debate between sincere brokers is acceptable for controversial, unsure points. If a health care provider wrote an article Let’s Throw Kids in Volcanoes, nobody ought to interact in “spirited debate” about this proposal. RFK Jr. is mainly that unhealthy, and to recommend there ought to be “spirited debate” about him negates his risk. It’s one other approach of claiming “He’s actually not so scary all. Cheap folks help him.” As a result of Smart Medication’s “anti-RFK Jr. article” handled pro-RFK Jr. propaganda as an affordable matter for “spirited debate”, it was essentially insincere and performative.
RFK Jr Likened CDC to a ‘Nazi Demise Camp’ and Vaccinating Kids to ‘Intercourse Abuse in The Catholic Church’
Spirited debate also needs to be reserved for points that aren’t emergencies. Dr. Cifu wrote about “worrisome indicators about what comes subsequent,” revealing a blissful ignorance of the chance we face. Many people have been shouting concerning the “worrisome indicators” for years. As a substitute of contemplating that he may study one thing from us, Dr. Cifu thought it was beneath him. He felt studying about “worrisome indicators” was a “waste” of his time, and so as we speak, he doesn’t grasp that we’re nicely previous “worrisome indicators.” A horror is on the doorstep.
In fact, that is apparent to anybody who can learn a newspaper. Right here’s what the headlines are saying: Trump Says RFK Jr. Will Examine The Discredited Hyperlink Between Vaccines And Autism: ‘Any individual Has To Discover Out’, RFK Jr Likened CDC to a ‘Nazi Demise Camp’ and Vaccinating Kids to ‘Intercourse Abuse in The Catholic Church’, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Reveals Plans to Hearth 600 Federal Well being Employees, and Trump to Focus on Ending Childhood Vaccination Applications With RFK Jr.
Will the CDC be indistinguishable from Kids’s Well being Protection subsequent 12 months? Will flu and COVID vaccines even be obtainable? Will RFK Jr. perform mass purges of vaccine scientists? Will consultants with a long time of expertise resign in protest and disgust, hollowing out the CDC, NIH, and FDA? Will RFK Jr. uncover “crimes” to assist the DOJ fulfill his dream of prosecuting Fauci?
The anti-vaxxers are successful. This a really harmful second.
As a substitute of opposing this, overtly political Smart Medication medical doctors have inspired all of it, together with requires mass firings and prosecutions. Dr. Cifu doesn’t care that his compatriots have infected the mob and their thirst for revenge. These assaults don’t trouble him in any respect. If kids die of measles and heroic scientists get dragged off to Guantanamo, Dr. Cifu will need everybody to know that he doesn’t help it, however the correct response ought to be “spirited debate” with medical doctors who helped allow it.
Dr. Makary on RFK Jr’s Criticism of the ‘Medical Industrial Complicated’: Saying Issues ‘Folks Know Are True’.
Anybody who really acknowledged RFK Jr.’s danger wouldn’t name for “spirited debate” about any of this. They might vigorously oppose it in each approach. This contains unequivocally calling out medical doctors who spout pro-RFK Jr. propaganda. RFK Jr. is harmful above all else, which implies that medical doctors who glorify him are harmful above all else.
But as a substitute of actually recognizing the risk, Dr. Cifu acts a protection legal professional for these medical doctors. Underneath the guise of being a very affordable doctor, he amplifies and legitimizes their pro-RFK Jr. misinformation. He dunks on their critics whereas refusing to interact with the substance of our critiques. This makes him harmful too.
Certainly, Smart Medication’s “anti-RFK Jr. article” praised a number of pro-RFK Jr. medical doctors, which clearly bolsters RFK Jr.’s credibility. Along with Dr. Cifu positively name-checking Dr. Vinay Prasad within the introduction, Dr. Taylor praised Dr. Joseph Marine, the creator of Why Docs Ought to Be taught to Cease Worrying and Love MAHA, and Dr. Marty Makary. Dr. Taylor amazingly referred to as Dr. Makary a “critical medical mental” who makes use of “information to tell his place.”
In actuality, Dr. Makary is a misinformation physician whose quest for energy led him give interviews comparable to Dr. Makary on RFK Jr’s Criticism of the ‘Medical Industrial Complicated’: Saying Issues ‘Folks Know Are True’. Dr. Makary mentioned:
One factor RFK Jr. did is he would publish true tales of kids who died instantly after the vaccine. These had been in any other case wholesome kids.
In actuality, RFK Jr. lied about kids dying after the COVID vaccine. Nonetheless, Dr. Makary’s endorsement of a vile anti-vaccine lie didn’t trouble anybody at Smart Medication. They showered him with reward. Dr. Cifu doesn’t thoughts that his colleagues unfold COVID misinformation and at the moment are cheerleaders for America’s #1 anti-vaxxer. He’s solely upset that meany-pants medical doctors like myself “assault” these medical doctors, by quoting them and correcting their factual errors.
These of us who really oppose RFK Jr. would by no means collaborate with medical doctors who boosted RFK Jr. We should always deal with them the identical approach we handled anti-vaccine medical doctors earlier than the pandemic- Dr. Prasad rightfully referred to as one a “quack.” Propaganda movies like these normalized RFK Jr. and introduced him to the cusp of energy. These medical doctors will personal every part that occurs if he’s confirmed. So long as Dr. Cifu continues to legitimize and revenue from their propaganda, he will likely be an enabler of RFK Jr. irrespective of what number of “anti-RFK Jr.” articles he publishes at Smart Medication.
Absurd folks and harmful concepts are absurd and harmful.
Absurd folks and harmful concepts are absurd and harmful. There isn’t any advantage in treating them as official matters for “spirited debate”. Anti-vaccine liars with a physique depend ought to clearly rejected and denounced, particularly by medical doctors. That is the bottom bar possible. If RFK Jr. and his apologists can’t be dismissed outright, then no one can.
But, Dr. Cifu is completely prepared to summarily dismiss one group of individuals, his critics. Whereas Dr. Cifu is prepared to develop into enterprise companions with pro-RFK Jr. medical doctors, his vaunted curiosity in “spirited debate” miraculously vanishes when anybody considers his “enterprise mannequin” and “motivating biases”, as he as soon as properly instructed us to do. When this occurs, he reflexively labels it an “assault” to attempt to disgrace and discredit his critics.
In distinction, our dedication to spirited debate right here at SBM is honest and real. If Dr. Cifu feels I’m fallacious about something, he can chime within the feedback and clarify why it’s superb and dandy for medical doctors to revenue from anti-vaxx, pro-RFK Jr. disinformation. He’s declined my earlier invites to take action. Nonetheless, anybody can remark right here totally free, and within the unlikely occasion somebody calls him a “fucking liar“, we wouldn’t tolerate it.
This isn’t Smart Medication, in any case.