59: A Man of Wealth and Taste

This week we are diving into the weird world of Robert Francis Kennedy, Jr., the newly confirmed Secretary of Health and Human Services in the second Trump administration. We go over his history of environmental activism and chart how this morphed into a profoundly conspiracist worldview that, with him now in control of the levers of power in the American health sector, has the potential to do enormous harm to the well-being of the citizens of this country and indeed the citizens of the world. We honestly had too much material for this episode, and even having gone a bit longer than we normally do, we still left out much that could have been discussed, but we focus in on his vaccine skepticism, his opposition to drinking water fluoridation, as well as his specific criticisms of Dr. Fauci and the governmental response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The sources for our research can be found below. We also discuss some of the wackier incidents involving...animals.We open the episode discussing the recent protests outside Tesla dealerships as well as the efforts to crush free speech being carried out by the Trump administration. We didn't mention it in the episode, but next week we will be diving into the crisis of the late Roman Republic.The New York Times on RFK Jr.'s history of vaccine skepticismThink Global Health on the origins of RFK Jr.'s anti-vaccine activismClaremont Review of Books review of RFK Jr.'s book on Anthony FauciCBS News on RFK Jr.'s anti-fluoridation stanceProtect Our Care on why RFK Jr. is the worst imaginable HHS SecretaryThe Cut on RFK Jr. initiating yet another examination of autism and vaccinesStat News on RFK Jr.'s nieces attempts to discuss covid with himNPR on the infamous Central Park Bear incidentThe AP on the time RFK Jr. drove home with a severed whale head on his roofSend us Fan Mailhttps://www.instagram.com/theendoftheworldwms/https://youtube.com/@TheEndoftheWorldwMS?si=xmj-2e0s58JdN8-Bhttps://linktr.ee/endoftheworldwithmichaelandstu