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Which statements? As I see it he's talked about looking for environmental causes. This seems the opposite of genetic. Or do you see a different perspective?

op00to 1y ago
Based on your post history, it seems like you’re a bad faith poster. Even so, let’s assume you want to learn to overcome your clear lack of knowledge about this RFK Jr.’s statements on autism go beyond a generic interest in environmental causes. He has repeatedly promoted the thoroughly debunked theory that vaccines, especially those containing thimerosal, cause autism. This began with his 2005 Rolling Stone/Salon article Deadly Immunity, which was retracted due to factual inaccuracies. The CDC, WHO, and countless peer reviewed studies have confirmed no link between vaccines and autism. He also made a widely criticized comment during a January 2024 town hall, saying: “Kids with autism are never going to write a symphony, they’re never going to win the 100-yard dash at the Olympics, they’re never going to pay taxes.” (Source: People Magazine, April 2024) That kind of blanket characterization isn’t just false, it’s dehumanizing. Plenty of autistic individuals work, pay taxes, and thrive. I’d say a sizable minority of posters on HN are somewhere on the spectrum. His statements on autism are part of a pattern: RFK Jr. has pushed for a national autism registry and appointed controversial figures like David Geier, who has faced sanctions for unethical autism “treatments” and also pushed vaccine-autism claims. So it’s not just a different research focus, it’s a history of promoting discredited and harmful views while stigmatizing autistic people.
- t1E9mE7JTRjf 1y ago
  Ok, so your counter is an article which as you say was retracted due to inaccuracies, and then several statements which you categorise as him being down on autists. Neither of which support the previous eugenics accusation. These seem more like straw men. If that's incorrect, please do back it up and say what the relevant argument is. I'll listen, but so far don't see any relevant points.
  - op00to 1y ago
    This isn’t a distortion or exaggeration of RFK Jr.’s record. It’s a direct response to what he’s publicly said and done. What you’re doing is refusing to engage with the actual evidence provided, while repeatedly shifting the frame to make that evidence seem irrelevant. That’s not constructive, and it’s not in line with Hacker News’s guidelines for honest, good faith discussion, which is in line with your previous behavior on HN. Eugenics today isn’t just about forced sterilization or selective breeding. Eugenics is a policy or ideology that seeks to reduce or eliminate traits deemed undesirable typically through systemic surveillance, control, or intervention based on a belief that certain lives or characteristics are less valuable or worthy. That includes portraying a group as a burden, building systems to track them, and promoting ways to suppress or eliminate the trait. RFK Jr.’s actions match this because: He publicly described autistic people as non-functional and burdensome. In January 2024, he said: “These are kids who will never pay taxes, never hold a job, never go out on a date.” This isn’t a one-off gaffe, it was part of a broader argument for policy action. That kind of language has always been the first step in eugenic thinking: define a group as a drain on society. He proposed a national autism registry. His HHS floated plans to aggregate autism diagnosis, medical history, and behavioral data into a federal database. The Autistic Self Advocacy Network and other disability rights groups condemned it as “deplorable” and eugenic because historically, surveillance of marginalized populations has paved the way for coercive or exclusionary policies. He appointed David Geier to autism research leadership. Geier is not just “controversial”, he lost his medical license for administering Lupron (a hormone-blocking drug) to autistic children. That treatment was rightly deemed unethical and dangerous. RFK Jr. giving him influence signals approval of the idea that autism is something to be chemically suppressed. This is a pattern. First define a group as broken. Then, build infrastructure to monitor them. Finally, promote discredited interventions aimed at erasing the trait. That fits the actual operational definition of eugenics in 2025. Whether or not RFK Jr. uses the word is irrelevant. And no, this is not misrepresenting him. Everything above is sourced directly from his public statements, government proposals, and appointments. When you respond by waving it all away as “not relevant” or “just looking into causes,” without actually refuting a single point, you’re not having a real conversation. You’re dodging. That’s what makes your posts frustrating, and arguably against the spirit of this site. Thoughtful, evidence driven discussion, not rhetorical evasion.

op00to 1y ago

Based on your post history, it seems like you’re a bad faith poster. Even so, let’s assume you want to learn to overcome your clear lack of knowledge about this RFK Jr.’s statements on autism go beyond a generic interest in environmental causes. He has repeatedly promoted the thoroughly debunked theory that vaccines, especially those containing thimerosal, cause autism. This began with his 2005 Rolling Stone/Salon article Deadly Immunity, which was retracted due to factual inaccuracies. The CDC, WHO, and countless peer reviewed studies have confirmed no link between vaccines and autism. He also made a widely criticized comment during a January 2024 town hall, saying: “Kids with autism are never going to write a symphony, they’re never going to win the 100-yard dash at the Olympics, they’re never going to pay taxes.” (Source: People Magazine, April 2024) That kind of blanket characterization isn’t just false, it’s dehumanizing. Plenty of autistic individuals work, pay taxes, and thrive. I’d say a sizable minority of posters on HN are somewhere on the spectrum. His statements on autism are part of a pattern: RFK Jr. has pushed for a national autism registry and appointed controversial figures like David Geier, who has faced sanctions for unethical autism “treatments” and also pushed vaccine-autism claims. So it’s not just a different research focus, it’s a history of promoting discredited and harmful views while stigmatizing autistic people.

t1E9mE7JTRjf 1y ago
Ok, so your counter is an article which as you say was retracted due to inaccuracies, and then several statements which you categorise as him being down on autists. Neither of which support the previous eugenics accusation. These seem more like straw men. If that's incorrect, please do back it up and say what the relevant argument is. I'll listen, but so far don't see any relevant points.
- op00to 1y ago
  This isn’t a distortion or exaggeration of RFK Jr.’s record. It’s a direct response to what he’s publicly said and done. What you’re doing is refusing to engage with the actual evidence provided, while repeatedly shifting the frame to make that evidence seem irrelevant. That’s not constructive, and it’s not in line with Hacker News’s guidelines for honest, good faith discussion, which is in line with your previous behavior on HN. Eugenics today isn’t just about forced sterilization or selective breeding. Eugenics is a policy or ideology that seeks to reduce or eliminate traits deemed undesirable typically through systemic surveillance, control, or intervention based on a belief that certain lives or characteristics are less valuable or worthy. That includes portraying a group as a burden, building systems to track them, and promoting ways to suppress or eliminate the trait. RFK Jr.’s actions match this because: He publicly described autistic people as non-functional and burdensome. In January 2024, he said: “These are kids who will never pay taxes, never hold a job, never go out on a date.” This isn’t a one-off gaffe, it was part of a broader argument for policy action. That kind of language has always been the first step in eugenic thinking: define a group as a drain on society. He proposed a national autism registry. His HHS floated plans to aggregate autism diagnosis, medical history, and behavioral data into a federal database. The Autistic Self Advocacy Network and other disability rights groups condemned it as “deplorable” and eugenic because historically, surveillance of marginalized populations has paved the way for coercive or exclusionary policies. He appointed David Geier to autism research leadership. Geier is not just “controversial”, he lost his medical license for administering Lupron (a hormone-blocking drug) to autistic children. That treatment was rightly deemed unethical and dangerous. RFK Jr. giving him influence signals approval of the idea that autism is something to be chemically suppressed. This is a pattern. First define a group as broken. Then, build infrastructure to monitor them. Finally, promote discredited interventions aimed at erasing the trait. That fits the actual operational definition of eugenics in 2025. Whether or not RFK Jr. uses the word is irrelevant. And no, this is not misrepresenting him. Everything above is sourced directly from his public statements, government proposals, and appointments. When you respond by waving it all away as “not relevant” or “just looking into causes,” without actually refuting a single point, you’re not having a real conversation. You’re dodging. That’s what makes your posts frustrating, and arguably against the spirit of this site. Thoughtful, evidence driven discussion, not rhetorical evasion.