Summary
During his Senate confirmation hearing for Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed scientific evidence on vaccine safety despite claiming he would follow the data.
He rejected studies debunking vaccine-autism links, downplayed COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness, and avoided endorsing the HPV vaccine.
His remarks on racial differences in vaccination raised further concerns.
Lawmakers and health experts criticized his reliance on flawed research, warning his leadership could erode public trust and revive preventable diseases.
His confirmation remains contentious.
A past boss of mine used to say, “Did God say so?”
However, in his case it wasn’t because he denied science and believed that the Bible was the only “knowledge” you needed, but rather that he believed God was the only authority who could overrule him.
He was actually a generally rational person, but if you wanted to contradict him, you’d need a series of peer reviewed, repeatable, double-blind studies proving he was wrong. And even then, he’d probably want God to comment.
Conservatism is hierarchy as a theory of everything. To anyone stuck in this tribalist worldview, rightful authority can never be wrong. They are inherently superior in every way… or they wouldn’t be rightful authorities. Any criticism is saying they don’t belong there, and you deserve to be above them.
Reality is a team sport, to these people. The only guiding force in their subjective universe is “who says.” Everything else is pretense.