Why I hate RFK Jr.
MAHA is a Scam
It’s not a surprise for many of you to know I hate Robert F Kennedy (RFK) Jr. He is a notorious anti-vaxxer who has profited from misinformation for years, led to the deaths of children, and is an outright hypocrite (see picture above).
While I could review his wacky claims and refute them with empirical evidence, this has been done before on many occasions. I’m more interested in the ideology that I think permeates his message: right-wing populism.
In this essay, we will explore right-wing populism, how RFK Jr. is connected to it, and what we can do to fight back.
What is right-wing populism?
Right-wing populism and populism, in general, do not have a clear set definition but notable features that occupy it.
One article defines right-wing populism as…
populism, particularly its right-wing variant, is a political movement or party emphasizing a Manichean, us-versus-them worldview in which the “us” refers to the “people,” defined often in ethnic or communal terms and seen as engaged in a zero-sum battle with “them,” defined most often as liberal elites, the establishment, and minorities and/or immigrants.
Right-wing populism combines elements of right-wing politics with populism.
By right-wing politics, I mean a broad range of political ideologies that view social orders and hierarchies as inevitable, desirable, or natural.
By populism, I mean political stances categorized by an “us” typically represented by common people and a “them” usually represented by an elite group, both groups are diametrically opposed.
Right-wing populism is unique in that it is often nationalist in orientation, can scapegoat ethnic groups, and in the case of the United States tied into American Conservatism and Christian Evangelist elements.
Keep in mind I am using broad contentious definitions that can still be debated in the realm of political theory and depend on the particulars of the society we are talking about.
Right-wing populism in the United States can be somewhat distinct in character and presentation from right-wing populism in Europe or India. This does not necessarily take away from the general themes of the discussion.
Trump and his MAGA movement are predicated on using right-wing populism for their political aims, but this can be argued as part of the Republican Party’s strategy since the 2010s.
Trump and his lackeys speak to the grievances of the people against what they perceive as the “elites” which mainly means members of the Democratic Party, he focuses on cultural issues to stoke his base, and he scapegoats immigrants as part of the economic and social problems of this country.
RFK Jr. just happened to tap into this sort of rhetoric for his Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement which directly ties into MAGA.
The New Scam of RFK Jr.
This MAHA scam, as I like to call it, seems to be working for RFK Jr. as he was nominated to be the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
I call it a scam because the right-wing populist rhetoric the MAHA movement uses does nothing to address systemic reasons why Americans have poor health to begin with.
The focus is on getting rid of “corruption” within health agencies, being against “suppression” of treatments he supports, getting rid of fluoride in the water supply, and other goofy claims not rooted in any of the “gold standard evidence-based practice” he claims to champion and support.
This is right-wing populist rhetoric in a nutshell pitting the public or the people, in this case average Americans, against elitist “corrupt” agencies that are claimed to be “sock puppets” for industry.
Be against Big Food, Big Pharma, and Big Agencies but do not actually address the systemic reasons why people’s health suffers and offer no clear alternative strategy forward besides gutting agencies which will inevitably lead to deregulation.
I’m sorry to tell you, but deregulating an industry does nothing to put it in check or stop it from further exploiting you.
But this is not unique to MAHA…
The wellness industry is notorious for criticizing other industries and health in the country but provides market-based alternatives that do nothing to address the underlying system leading to particular health outcomes.
All the criticisms we can give to Pharma based on corporate exploitation can apply to the wellness industry as well. The difference is one is more regulated than the other.
MAHA is Somewhat Right
RFK Jr. and his wellness cronies will point to worsening chronic disease in the American population and tie this to lifestyle factors. They’re correct in this assessment.
Good right-wing populist rhetoric gets at actual grievances and half-truths.
Millions of Americans suffer from chronic lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and obesity.
However, their focus on deregulation and outlawing individual food ingredients does not address various social determinants of health.
Where are the MAHA proposals for addressing food insecurity for example?
Food insecurity impacts 13.5 percent of American households in 2023, this equals roughly 18 million households, which is about 47.4 million Americans.
Food insecurity is associated with poor mental health, diabetes, obesity heart disease, and more.
You would think a movement based on tackling the “chronic disease epidemic” in the United States would be concerned with an overarching problem impacting millions of Americans that is scientifically linked to many of the chronic diseases they’re against.
I have yet to see any MAHA statement from RFK Jr., the official MAHA site, or any of the MAHA associates for targeting food insecurity in America as of this writing.
That’s because the primary concern with right-wing populist rhetoric is not to address your grievances or concerns but to speak to them in a way that allows the political party or person to assume power.
Trump needs votes to gain political power, RFK Jr. needs legitimacy to gain public support for his ideologies, and this does not include delivering on what would actually help you as an everyday American.
We can talk about better regulations for food companies, we can talk about factors like socioeconomic status which impact health, we can talk about addressing food insecurity, and can talk about healthcare… These are better conversations than focusing on food ingredients and indiscriminately gutting health agencies.
But it is not really about food ingredients or health agencies, it is about gaining power and money. Wellness influencers who associate with RFK and his movement do so for self-serving purposes, it gains them more attention and money.
RFK Jr. has built his career as a conspiracy theorist and anti-vaxxer and he has made a lot of money from it. His new role as secretary over the DHHS will only serve to solidify his power and open up new opportunities for himself.
What Do We Do Now?
I personally know many doctors and scientists are scared shitless that RFK Jr..
The recent nomination of Dr. Oz to oversee Medicare and Medicaid certainly doesn’t make it better.
In my opinion, this fear will lead to run-of-the-mill responses of attacking RFK, Oz, and related cronies with empirical claims and data.
While pushing back against these characters with empirical data is important, it does nothing to address the underlying ideology they base their claims on.
Yes, many people who support evidence-based medicine and public health will rightfully call out these people for being factually incorrect, but that probably won’t sway most Americans or the MAHA followers.
MAHA and related wellness narratives are not predicated on empirical data and peer review sources. They utilize tools like right-wing populism and related propaganda methods for their aims and agendas.
If we (scientists, doctors, activists, concerned citizens, etc.) want to rightfully call into question these figures who now have vast control over America’s health sector, then we must call out the ideologies and narratives.
We must fight back against the notion that deregulation is good for the common citizen, the narrative that individual food ingredients primarily determine public health, and other questionable assumptions.
We need to speak to the frustrations people feel economically, socially, and culturally.
We need to showcase why right-wing populism manipulates people.
We need to provide coherent alternatives to the MAHA movement that everyday people can get behind.
However, this requires many to be politically aware. RFK Jr., the MAHA movement, and the wellness industry are symptoms of deeply related problems. Namely, the deeper social and political structures which underpin our society.
It’s not a coincidence that RFK Jr. is cozying up to Donald Trump.
Beautiful words! Indeed it seems MAHA is another version of "pull yourself up - yourself" thing. All right wing arguments involve ignoring the world and focusing on the self exclusively. Only you make everything happen - good or bad. It's so boring, and yet I hear versions of this from literally every human I speak to with some very rare exceptions. Personal choices DO matter but so does the system they operate in. It's pretty obvious.
How will MAHA address our anti-human infrastructure that forces people into cars (if they can afford them), or dangerous streets devoted completely to the use of the automobile? We build diets and workouts around the use of this product (autosmobiles) that monopolizes our entire existence. I hear fitness people blather on for years and never address - how do you transport yourself? Are you able to walk somewhere from your home? Everything is connected!
For the majority of people they will never know their bodies full capabilities as they're confined to an existence of machines taking them from one building to the next. When I say statement like that people think I'm an elitist who thinks everyone should ride a bike and I dont understand how that's not possible - the reaction stops there.
My thoughts exactly.