this post was submitted on 12 May 2024
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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.
He's one of the main antivax proponent assholes, so all I see is delicious irony. He's been demonising doctors and medical professionals, he doesn't get to complain now that nobody's paying attention to them.
I assume that's a shot at Biden, correct me otherwise.
He's also one of Israel's strongest supporters, so Biden's only major weakness is shared by him. Given his views, he's pure modern Republican jackass, and symbolises everything wrong with them. How exactly is he better than Biden?
I get this viewpoint, but it reminds me of conversations I've seen about people bodyshaming Trump.
The same logic applies: he has definitely lost any ability to complain if someone ridicules his obvious physical shortcomings. BUT: that's not why we shouldn't ridicule his weight or terrible appearance or bad health (or supposed terrible smell).
We shouldn't do that because publicly mocking people's appearances and ascribing a moral failing to bad health perpetuates harmful social behaviors that are borne by everyone other than Trump who happen to be overweight, or disabled, or have terrible diets, etc.. If one suggests that he's worth less as a person because of his age or weight and so on, they're not actually doing anything to Trump. They're just communicating to anyone who sees those comments that they think it's appropriate to bully or discriminate against others based on these traits.
Bringing it back to RFK: we live in an era of a LOT of dangerous medical misinformation. We should not share that kind of misinformation against RFK, even if doing so is funny (and deserved), because ultimately we're still just adding more shit to the same pile of shit that we're mad at him for piling up. Does that make sense?
Also, that's a good point about RFK and Israel. I don't tend to pay attention to RFK, so I sometimes forget how absolutely dogshit his opinions are. I appreciate you reminding me. He's definitely the second worst.
But nobody (at least none of the major media outlets) is spreading misinformation. People are making jokes about his brainworms, but unlike the right wing crowd nobody's taking it for actual medical advice.