My Doomer take is that it will be leveraged as yet another profit center as late stage capitalism circles the toilet, on its way to some flavor of Yanis Varoufakis’ technofeudalism. Our health “system” devolving pretty much exactly how Cory Doctorow outlined in his enshittification definition.
Junior’s flunkies aren’t merely incompetent. My guess is that they will actively remake whatever functional parts of, say, the CDC, into something that’ll create if not maximize collateral damage.
Been covered, but I tend to like the way Ars discusses things, and the comment section is actually worthwhile. (Shocking, I know!)
Kennedy, who is currently trying to shift the national attention to his idea of clean living and higher-quality foods, has a long history of advocating against vaccines, spreading misinformation and disinformation about the lifesaving shots. However, a clearer explanation of Kennedy’s war on vaccines can be found in his rejection of germ theory. In his 2021 book that vilifies infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci, he bemoaned germ theory as “the pharmaceutical paradigm that emphasized targeting particular germs with specific drugs rather than fortifying the immune system through healthy living, clean water, and good nutrition.”
In case you needed to know just what kind of quack he actually is…
If you think chemtrails are real, you’re probably up in arms — about Canadian ostriches | Opinion
If you think viruses are fake, chemtrails are real and public health is a conspiracy, you’re probably up in arms about four hundred potentially diseased Canadian ostriches.
Federal inspectors are poised to euthanize the flock to contain a novel strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) that killed 69 ostriches on a remote farm in Edgewood, British Columbia.
After losing their court case to save the flock, the owners of Universal Ostrich Farms invited the dregs of the antigovernment antivax trucker convoy that paralyzed Ottawa to surround the premises to stop the cull.
The fate of the ostriches has become a cause célèbre in rightwing media. We didn’t hear a peep out of maga when Trump declared open season on migratory birds, but every self-respecting antivaxer is an ostrich fancier now. In keeping with their philosophy of governance by trolling, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr and his wingman Dr. Mehmet Oz are stirring the pot.
Oz offered to adopt the enormous flightless birds and bring them to live on his 900-acre Florida estate because, apparently, we don’t have enough bird flu at home. “The Canadians should stop putting their heads in the sand,” he said, indulging in a little light colonialism. “We just have to get [the ostriches] out of Canada.”
Kennedy’s new selections have varied backgrounds, though many rose to prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic, when they criticized government policies on school closures and lockdowns, and the mRNA vaccines.
… For example, Kulldorff, an epidemiologist and biostatistician, helped write the Great Barrington Declaration
… Malone has gained a large following for undermining the COVID-19 vaccine. A scientist who worked on early research into the mRNA technology, he became critical of the shot and made baseless and disproven claims
… Meissner was a member of the panel of Food and Drug Administration vaccine advisers that made recommendations to authorize the use of COVID vaccines. He has criticized recommendations to mask children, including in an op-ed he co-wrote with current FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, and has indicated support for Kennedy’s recent decision to remove healthy children and pregnant women from the COVID-19 vaccine schedule.
… Another member, Vicky Pebsworth, has served on the board of the National Vaccine Information Center — a prominent advocacy group that warns against vaccine risks.
And it just goes on. “Empiric facts” my ass. This is a straight up hit job. Say goodbye to your childhood vaccines, guys.
Oh my… Yeah, this will be interesting. Like any drug, used properly, it can be quite valuable. I am headed for a knee replacement, and would very much like to be able to get decent pain control. The issue is not the drug, it’s the marketing. I was in the cohort of med students and residents taught that you couldn’t get addicted if you were using it “for legitimate pain.”
Behind a paywall, so unable to read. But my first reaction is: how was approval illegal? And if the established approval process was followed, this means every pharmaceutical approve using this process is also illegal.
I can’t take NSAIDs due to the possibly of a Crohn’s flare up, so was taking hydrocodone for back pain, up until a few years ago when it became completely unavailable. I haven’t checked for a while but maybe it still is. So Tylenol is all I can take, which doesn’t work as well.
This country is so pro-pain. I wonder when pain control for childbirth will be outlawed. Opioids! Oh my god! (clutching pearls) Oh fuck, the string broke. Fluffy, come back with that!
I mean, not just OxyContin and other opioids. Also antibiotics. Antihistamines. Epipens. Natural and synthetic insulin. Ozempic. Statins. Anti-inflammatory meds, such as meloxicam (arthritis). Anti-anxiety meds. Anti-seizure meds. Aspirin, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen. Every-fucking-pharmaceutical ever approved through this process would be illegal.
That’s assuming the FDA head is referring to the approvals process.
This administration labels every damn thing as illegal, so it is hard to say without being able to read the article whether she means the process was illegal, or there was illegal activity involved in the approval, or unethical behavior she wished was illegal but isn’t, or she just doesn’t like that it was approved, or if it is a smokescreen for the Sackler family to let them off the hook by blaming the FDA because they paid a brib… er… made a contribution to the Trump “Totally-Not-A-Bribe” scheme of the week.
Tylenol is OK for fever, not much good for pain (obviously.) Topical Voltaren (diclofenac) can be really helpful, and I have found KT tape to be helpful (for my knees.) There are YouTube videos on how to apply it for various body parts, but you may need a friend for your back. None are as good as opioids for pain, but can be helpful.
