• Andy@slrpnk.net
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    6 months ago

    It’s an okay meme, but I have to admit I’m conflicted on these jokes.

    First, lets just point out that Vanity Fair and everyone else who reports on JFK’s brain worm but won’t cover his rallies or policy announcements – let alone Jill Stein or Cornell West’s – is just doing a political hit job on a candidate challenging the hegemony of our two terrible political parties.

    Second, although I think that JFK acts like a guy who had his brain eaten by a worm, it’s not really appropriate imo to propagate this impression that this is a legitimate medical concern. This parasitic infection isn’t actually any more debilitating than vaccines, so I think there’s a perverse hypocrisy to dwelling on it when most of us decry his irresponsible spreading of medical misinformation and conspiracy theories.

    Anyway, fuck RFK, but let’s be real that he’s definitely not the worst candidate in the race, and it’s honestly not clear whether he’s even the second worst at this point.

    • dragonshouter@ttrpg.network
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      6 months ago

      I hadn’t heard about the guy until now and was about to say that we shouldn’t bully him over a medical condition but then you said anti-vax shit and lost me.

      • Andy@slrpnk.net
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        6 months ago

        I said the opposite: I said that I think he’s anti-vax, and I’m pro-vax, and so I don’t want to be like him… but I bungled it. The message is unclear, and that’s on me.

      • Andy@slrpnk.net
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        6 months ago

        Vaccines are safe and effective.

        His previous parasitic infection is not a present day health concern. (He’s an idiot, but by all accounts he was an idiot before, so we can’t blame the worm for the shit he says.)

        My point is that we should not promote unfounded suggestions about someone’s cognitive health or promote unfounded speculation on the effect of a procedure or condition based on our preferred ideological beliefs. It’s wrong when RFK does it. And it’s wrong when the media does it to smear RFK. It’s hypocritical and it’s dangerous. “Follow the science” doesn’t have a carve-out for when you want to smear people we disagree with.

        • psud@aussie.zone
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          6 months ago

          Pick something else safe in future, mate, using vaccines as an indicator of safety makes you look like you’re an idiot making the opposite point