4 ms·

True, but RFK (and other politicians and celebrities) have been active in pushing some form of anti-vax ideology for a decade plus, in some cases back to the 19

by nkozyra 2mo ago

True, but RFK (and other politicians and celebrities) have been active in pushing some form of anti-vax ideology for a decade plus, in some cases back to the 1970s. It's been a growing movement, not something that kicked off when RFK assumed the HHS role.

freediddy 2mo ago
Pre-Trump, anti-vaxxers were notorious left-wing granola types. Lots of anti-vaxxers were white liberals living in Marin and NorCal and sending their children to private schools like Waldorf. Only after Trump did people start lumping them in with right wing.
- wredcoll 2mo ago
  Trump gave them official government support and promoted them.
- riffraff 2mo ago
  > Pre-Trump, anti-vaxxers were notorious left-wing granola types so, exactly RFK's type :)
- secretsatan 2mo ago
  Well that’s just not true, anti vax has always been a theme of the far right, infowars and i’m sure others have a long history of it. The left wing libs types are far more recent, and i would lump them more in with the wellness brigade.
  - freediddy 2mo ago
    You are completely wrong. It's always been a far left concept until COVID. This is from Mother Jones, a very liberal web site. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/06/the-anti-vax-movements-radical-shift-from-crunchy-granola-purists-to-far-right-crusaders/ https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/06/the-anti-vax-mo...
    - secretsatan 2mo ago
      Here’s an earlier article from another leftist site https://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/apr/25/mmr-scare-analysis https://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/apr/25/mmr-scare-an...
MoltenMan 2mo ago
I agree. But to be clear the original comment / context is about MAGA / Trump. I think responding 'No, you're wrong! RFK is the reason' to a thread about Trump and then retreating to RFK's activities over the last 20 years is arguing in bad faith. The entire reason I made my original comment is because it's important to recognize that this is not a Trump thing, and getting rid of Trump / MAGA will not suddenly convince people that vaccines are good.
- nkozyra 2mo ago
  It's not _solely_ a Trump thing, but he gave RFK an enormous platform and has himself been espousing demonstrably untrue things about vaccines and vaccination schedules. This very week, in fact. [1] If you don't see this as an enormous amplification, I don't think you're operating in good faith. 1. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/10/well/trump-vaccines-fact-check.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/10/well/trump-vaccines-fact-...

by nkozyra 2mo ago

freediddy 2mo ago

Pre-Trump, anti-vaxxers were notorious left-wing granola types. Lots of anti-vaxxers were white liberals living in Marin and NorCal and sending their children to private schools like Waldorf. Only after Trump did people start lumping them in with right wing.

wredcoll 2mo ago
Trump gave them official government support and promoted them.
riffraff 2mo ago
> Pre-Trump, anti-vaxxers were notorious left-wing granola types so, exactly RFK's type :)
secretsatan 2mo ago
Well that’s just not true, anti vax has always been a theme of the far right, infowars and i’m sure others have a long history of it. The left wing libs types are far more recent, and i would lump them more in with the wellness brigade.
- freediddy 2mo ago
  You are completely wrong. It's always been a far left concept until COVID. This is from Mother Jones, a very liberal web site. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/06/the-anti-vax-movements-radical-shift-from-crunchy-granola-purists-to-far-right-crusaders/ https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/06/the-anti-vax-mo...
  - secretsatan 2mo ago
    Here’s an earlier article from another leftist site https://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/apr/25/mmr-scare-analysis https://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/apr/25/mmr-scare-an...

MoltenMan 2mo ago

I agree. But to be clear the original comment / context is about MAGA / Trump. I think responding 'No, you're wrong! RFK is the reason' to a thread about Trump and then retreating to RFK's activities over the last 20 years is arguing in bad faith. The entire reason I made my original comment is because it's important to recognize that this is not a Trump thing, and getting rid of Trump / MAGA will not suddenly convince people that vaccines are good.

nkozyra 2mo ago
It's not _solely_ a Trump thing, but he gave RFK an enormous platform and has himself been espousing demonstrably untrue things about vaccines and vaccination schedules. This very week, in fact. [1] If you don't see this as an enormous amplification, I don't think you're operating in good faith. 1. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/10/well/trump-vaccines-fact-check.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/10/well/trump-vaccines-fact-...