Nationwide Protest April 5, 2025 Hands Off

[Kishkumen]

I once believed you were intelligent, but now I see that you are a progressive who is too afraid to acknowledge it!

Who knows what you believe or believed? Who cares? I see no evidence of you being intelligent in your discussion of the issues. I see someone who is fixated on "Progressivism" to the point of obsession. Disagree with someone? They must be "progressive." Someone disagree with you? They must be progressive. Someone not like MAGA authoritarianism and the personality cult of Trump? Progressive.

I have not seen such a tedious tangle of bad thinking in a very long time.

Here are the facts. Musk was a Democrat only a few months back, but he has since shifted to the Republican side, citing that progressive ideology has veered so far left that it now resembles religious cult ideology.

Here are some more facts. Rich people are capable of behaving stupidly and arrogantly. Musk is a living example. He mostly lives for his wealth, and it shows. His DOGE was a scam. He lied about its dismal record. He doesn't give a crap about the law and has been on a power trip for some time (as a Democrat, too).

His having been a Democrat means nothing to me. He was just as dunderheaded and arrogant at the time but had not been let off the leash by an unprincipled con man with a dictator fetish.

I am an independent.

If you were able to step back from your progressive views, you might acknowledge that Trump has a former Democrat leading the Department of Health and Human Services, along with Tulsi Gabbard likely becoming our next president, overseeing national intelligence. However, your lack of understanding is obscuring your judgment, as you seem unable or unwilling to confront the facts.

RFK, Jr. is a sad sack with a dead worm in his head who uses exploits conspiracy theorists to bolster his fragile ego and line his pockets. I don't care what his political affiliation is or was. He's an effing idiot. Tulsi Gabbard is a cultist. She has always been a wacko just like RFK, Jr. What party they belonged to or belong to is immaterial to me. I am an independent. Since leaving the cult of two-party-crap-for-brains, I have been blissfully and remain blissfully unattached from any party. It is my dream to see the two-party system collapse.

Find another line of attack. This one is not working.

The reality is that Democrats are defecting and discovering a place within the Republican Party, rather than the reverse. Can you acknowledge that some Democrats are departing from the party and it's because of progressive ideology?

Of course I can! So what? The only reason I support Democrats is because the Republican Party has gone totally feral and has turned into a rabid MAGA zombie with a lunatic dullard conman as its head.

My question is, if we aim to win elections, shouldn't we focus on increasing voter turnout? Why would independents or Republicans consider joining the party if doing so implies that they must accept the notion that Republicans are essentially Nazis? It's absurd!

Please go spend your valuable time on a busy social media platform where this message will make a difference. Here, in this small corner of the world, with very few onlookers, we reserve the right to call them as we see them, since we know that very few people care what we think. I will continue to identify (correctly) the MAGA movement as fascist. I do not do so on social media. I do not do so in the classroom. I do so here because it is what I think, and it doesn't disturb the rest of the world to have me do so. Here.

[Dr Exiled]

RFK, Jr. is a sad sack with a dead worm in his head who uses exploits conspiracy theorists to bolster his fragile ego and line his pockets. I don't care what his political affiliation is or was. He's an effing idiot. Tulsi Gabbard is a cultist. She has always been a wacko just like RFK, Jr.

I like these two and perhaps I am being misled or perhaps you are. I hate how they are part of the Israel worshiping cult like practically all of our politicians are these days. AIPAC has too much influence for sure. Besides that, what informs your beliefs? Corporate media? Fear, like you admitted to during covid? RFK Jr questions the covid narrative and vaccines as being automatically safe and effective, is that why? Does Trump frighten you? If so, why? Could you perhaps give some examples showing how RFK Jr. is a "sad sack" or exploits conspiracy theorists? Also, please tell me why you think Gabbard is a cultist. Is it the Israel worship so many have in D.C.? Something else?

Thanks in advance. You might be saving a poor soul with your intellectual abilities.

[Gunnar]

DEI represents a contemporary form of racism, it's as straightforward as that.

The above statement is a prime example of straightforward projection by MAGA conservatives accusing their opponents of the very thing of which they themselves are guilty. I don't think you have any real understanding of either "progressive" or even the meaning of "progress."

Like it or not, despite the admirable accomplishments (of which there are many!) of America and American Democracy, there has been, from the beginning, a stubbornly persistent streak of white supremacism running throughout our history that has caused great harm and injustice to minorities. Honestly pointing out that historical fact and trying to minimize or end that streak and mitigate its residual consequences does not constitute anti-white (or any other kind) of racism or "white genocide" as hard right conservatives seem to want us to believe. Nor does it constitute trying to make white people feel guilty merely for being white.

While many ideologies can fall under the banner of progressivism, both the current and historical movement are characterized by a critique of unregulated capitalism, desiring a more active democratic government to take a role in safeguarding human rights, bringing about cultural development, and being a check-and-balance on corporate monopolies.

This is what I mean by "progressivism", and I don't see anything wrong or evil about that. Do you?

Immanuel Kant identified progress as being a movement away from barbarism toward civilization.[14] 18th-century philosopher and political scientist Marquis de Condorcet predicted that political progress would involve the disappearance of slavery, the rise of literacy, the lessening of sex inequality, reform of prisons, which at the time were harsh, and the decline of poverty.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressivism

This is, in large part, what I mean by "progress." I don't see anything wrong with that either. Do you?

[Hound of Heaven]

DEI represents a contemporary form of racism, it's as straightforward as that.

The above statement is a prime example of straightforward projection by MAGA conservatives accusing their opponents of the very thing of which they themselves are guilty. I don't think you have any real understanding of either "progressive" or even the meaning of "progress."

Like it or not, despite the admirable accomplishments (of which there are many!) of America and American Democracy, there has been, from the beginning, a stubbornly persistent streak of white supremacism running throughout our history that has caused great harm and injustice to minorities. Honestly pointing out that historical fact and trying to minimize or end that streak and mitigate its residual consequences does not constitute anti-white (or any other kind) of racism or "white genocide" as hard right conservatives seem to want us to believe. Nor does it constitute trying to make white people feel guilty merely for being white.

While many ideologies can fall under the banner of progressivism, both the current and historical movement are characterized by a critique of unregulated capitalism, desiring a more active democratic government to take a role in safeguarding human rights, bringing about cultural development, and being a check-and-balance on corporate monopolies.

This is what I mean by "progressivism", and I don't see anything wrong or evil about that. Do you?

Immanuel Kant identified progress as being a movement away from barbarism toward civilization.[14] 18th-century philosopher and political scientist Marquis de Condorcet predicted that political progress would involve the disappearance of slavery, the rise of literacy, the lessening of sex inequality, reform of prisons, which at the time were harsh, and the decline of poverty.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressivism

This is, in large part, what I mean by "progress." I don't see anything wrong with that either. Do you?

Dear Gunnar, I want to begin by acknowledging your sincerity in expressing your beliefs, even though I hold a different perspective on DEI and progressivism. However, we need to address the facts, you are overlooking a significant amount of history and ongoing events in order to portray white individuals as inherently racist. First, you understand that the overwhelming number of individuals who immigrate to this country, whether through legal or illegal means, are not white, right? When you assert that America has a historical pattern of white supremacism that has inflicted significant harm and injustice on minorities, it seems you may be overlooking the broader context of global conditions.

Gunnar, I would like to discuss this topic with you, but I believe that bringing it up here might upset Jersey Girl. Are you interested in initiating a discussion on this subject? We could talk about it in one of my threads if that works for you.

[canpakes]

you are overlooking a significant amount of history and ongoing events in order to portray white individuals as inherently racist.

Oops. You’re being dishonest again. Gunnar didn’t say or portray that at all.

Meanwhile, just for fun:



Supposedly, the Trump Administration’s ‘Border Czar’ said that, on live TV.

I really want to believe otherwise, but it does sound completely on brand.

[Kishkumen]

I like these two and perhaps I am being misled or perhaps you are. I hate how they are part of the Israel worshiping cult like practically all of our politicians are these days. AIPAC has too much influence for sure. Besides that, what informs your beliefs? Corporate media? Fear, like you admitted to during covid? RFK Jr questions the covid narrative and vaccines as being automatically safe and effective, is that why? Does Trump frighten you? If so, why? Could you perhaps give some examples showing how RFK Jr. is a "sad sack" or exploits conspiracy theorists? Also, please tell me why you think Gabbard is a cultist. Is it the Israel worship so many have in D.C.? Something else?

Thanks in advance. You might be saving a poor soul with your intellectual abilities.

Are you completely uninformed? Or are you just having me on? Where do you get YOUR information? That RFK is an anti-vaxxer nut job who peddles misinformation is widely known and amply supported by the words that come out of his own mouth during his many personal appearances on podcasts. If YOU question the science behind vaccination and believe that vaccines cause autism, then I am afraid I will be unable to help disabuse you of your delusions.

In the meantime, you can tell me that you disbelieve everything written here because of where it is published and who wrote it:

https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/cu ... 235178091/

As for Tulsi Gabbard's close ties to and participation in the Krishna break-off sect "Science of Identity Foundation," that, too, is a well documented fact:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_o ... Foundation

You see, here's the thing: there really are people who are so far gone that they believe the earth is flat. No one's "intellectual abilities" can help them. This is true of Trumpism, anti-vaxxism, the Q cult, and a lot of similarly extreme groups and movements. So, go ahead and be cheeky about my "intellectual abilities." Your willingness to entertain RFK Jr. or Tulsi Gabbard as serious people is self-condemning. No one's intellectual abilities but your own will rescue you from that hole.

[canpakes]

[RFK Jr questions the covid narrative and vaccines as being automatically safe and effective, is that why?

Many of his statements do not seem congruent with the responsibilities awarded to him by the Trump Administration. From one recap:

- (RFK Jr) falsely linked vaccines to autism during a 2023 Fox News interview: When Fox News anchor Jesse Watters asked Kennedy about his views on vaccines, Kennedy said, "Well, I do believe that autism does come from vaccines." Multiple studies have found no link between receiving vaccines and developing autism, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. USA TODAY has repeatedly debunked the claim that vaccines are linked to autism.

- He said vaccines are not safe or effective during a July 2023 podcast: When asked by podcast host Lex Fridman if he could name any "good" vaccines, Kennedy said, "There is no vaccine that is, you know, safe and effective."
He called the COVID-19 vaccine "the deadliest vaccine ever made" in 2021: Kennedy spoke during a 2021 Lousiana House committee meeting on a proposal to require students to get vaccinated against COVID-19. During his 20-minute remarks, Kennedy said the COVID-19 vaccine is "the deadliest vaccine ever made." USA TODAY has previously debunked inaccurate claims connecting the COVID-19 vaccines to mass deaths. Serious adverse reactions to them are rare, according to multiple studies. Various studies have estimated that the COVID-19 vaccines have saved millions of lives.

- He said he urges parents not to vaccinate their children in a 2021 podcast: During an episode of "The Way Forward with Alec Zeck," Kennedy said, "We, our job is to resist and to talk about it to everybody. ... I see somebody on a hiking trail with a, carrying a little baby and I say to him, 'Better not get him vaccinated.' And he heard that from me. If he hears it from 10 other people, maybe he won't do it, you know, maybe he will save that child." CNN aired the clip during an interview with Kennedy in December 2023.

- He blamed a 2019 measles outbreak in Samoa on the measles vaccine: During a measles outbreak in Samoa that killed 80 children, Kennedy wrote to the country's prime minister to say the measles vaccine was likely causing the deaths, according to NPR. Measles is a highly contagious virus that kills more than 200,000 people annually, mostly children, according to the Mayo Clinic. It can almost always be prevented with a vaccine that is "extremely safe," according to Johns Hopkins Medine.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/fac ... 943652007/

His earnings from lawsuits surrounding vaccines also don’t seem compatible with his new gig.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he will continue earning money from lawsuits once he is confirmed to run the Department of Health and Human Services, so long as the lawsuits don’t directly involve the United States or the federal government’s interests.

The longtime environmental lawyer turned politician wrote in an ethics agreement that he would keep receiving fees under a previous consulting agreement with WisnerBaum, a law firm that has an ongoing case against prescription drug maker Merck over the Gardasil vaccine.

Kennedy does not directly represent plaintiffs in the firm's cases, but receives fees for referring cases. Kennedy played a key role in creating the mass lawsuit against Merck over the Gardasil vaccine from plaintiffs who allege it had severe side effects, according to Reuters. WisnerBaum is now one of the lead lawyers, according to its website.

“I am entitled to receive 10% of fees awarded in contingency fee cases referred to the firm,” Kennedy wrote in the ethics agreement. “I am not trying these cases, I am not an attorney of record for the cases, and I will not provide representational services in connection with the cases during my appointment to the position of secretary.”

Gardasil is the only vaccine used in the U.S. to protect against human papillomavirus, which causes some cancers. The Centers for Disease Control, which is under the umbrella of the Department of Health and Human Services, calls the vaccine safe and effective and recommends that children start getting the vaccine between 9 and 11 years old.

"An overwhelming body of scientific evidence, including more than 30 years of research and development along with real world evidence generated by Merck and by independent investigators, continues to support the safety and efficacy of our HPV vaccines," Merck said in a statement to USA TODAY.

Kennedy has a long history of repeating false and misleading claims about vaccines, including the debunked claim that vaccines cause autism, claiming that the coronavirus vaccine is deadly, and blaming a measles outbreak on the measles vaccine. As the leader of the Department of Health and Services, he would oversee the Centers for Disease Control and the Food and Drug Administration, which regulates drugs including Gardasil.

WisnerBaum said in December it expected the lawsuit to go to trial this month, and Merck told USA TODAY on Thursday the case is currently in the jury selection phase. The firm did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s inquiry for comment. Neither did the Trump-Vance transition team.

Kennedy wrote that he may be entitled to future recoveries in cases that the United States “does not have a direct and substantial interest.” In cases where the government does have those interests, he said he would assign those fees a family member who is not a dependent.

In his June 2023 ethics disclosure from when he was a presidential candidate, Kennedy said he received $1.6 million in consulting fees from WisnerBaum and had been a consultant with the firm since 2016.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/pol ... 903354007/