Politically, those were great moves. He was able to pull outsider figures from the center-left away from the party that had tripled down on party loyalists.
And RFK is perfectly matching the rest of Trumps and republican party policies regardless where you look.
RFK didn't change his views, some significant world event happened and the Democratic party turned against the medical, health and food skeptics that they previously embraced. RFK didn't move right, MAGA recruited the skeptics of the establishment. RFK being am example of the previously mentioned health establishment skeptic and Gabbard being the foreign policy skeptic. Those positions pre-MAGA were under the Democratic tent.
Have you ever met a raw food afficianado who is antivax and avoids red dye #whatever? That person used to vote for Democrats, now they're MAGA. They aren't Republicans, they're MAGA.
That exact strain of provincial European quackiness is how you get homeopathy and alternative medicines covered under public health insurance and paid for by tax dollars in Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, etc.
At least France grappled with it ~5 years ago and removed it IIRC. Still being debated in Germany.
Slippery slope.
Flouridating water supplies is more or less literally homeopathy!
I'm not sure if this is directly relevant, but at least calm down about flouride: https://m.xkcd.com/463/
I actually miss the GOP of the 90s, who just wanted to teach that the Earth was 6000 years old and that Jesus rode dinosaurs.
Give it a few more weeks, and it will be banned from toothpastes too.
And then when he bans toothpaste: “You can get the topical treatment and a cleaning from the dentist if you want it so badly. Stop worrying so much!”
And then when he bans the topical treatment at the dentist: “It’s a logical move. Look, it’s not like he’s jailing dentists. You can still waste your money visiting your dentist if you think it’s going to help your teeth, LOL!”
Are we remembering the same history? Because I clearly remember COVID lockdowns and measures implemented and supported by the president in power at the time: Trump.
> out of touch with common sense
It is out of touch with science and reality too.
That people are believe this pseudo science is not a failing of the left, it is manufactured by the right.
We made a choice to transfer quality-of-life-years from the young (who already have less money and opportunity) to the olds who are parasites on our country. "Write me my $5k/month check or else. Pay for all my medical care or else. Btw our net worth is on average $1.4mm but no means-testing allowed. Thanks for the money, now I can hang onto my house for longer so you have no cheap place to settle down."
The biggest "class war" is between young and old. I will not support anyone who fails to recognize this. Trump is included in this group. Basically nobody I know had the foresight to oppose lockdowns from the start. Saying "that was a mistake" now is too little too late.
I still assign more blame to those who supported them longer and later. It is wrong but more defensibly so to have supported initial lockdowns once we knew we could either trade the young for the old or the old for the young.
he had an excessive amount of cavities and the dentist did not use any supplementation. This was painful and unnecessary for my son (we stopped using that dentist when it was clear this isn't 'normal').
i realize this is n=1. but apparently calgary [0] also realized this was having an opposite effect as well. (yes i realize this is slightly different than supplementation in the parent article but the supplementation would have saved my kid from unnecessary cavities.)
[0] https://www.npr.org/2024/12/13/nx-s1-5224138/calgary-removed...
EDIT: clarity on 'supplementation'
Statewide fluoride ban for tap water passes in Florida
Anyone who thinks banning fluoride is a good idea, you don't have a single clue what you're talking about. Not one.
amanaplanacanal•8mo ago
stubish•8mo ago
didgeoridoo•8mo ago
Topically-applied fluoride converts hydroxyapatite in enamel into hydroxyfluorapatite, a harder substance that resists bacterial decay. It has no benefits for the rest of your body, and when intake becomes excessive it can interfere with skeletal development and cause brittle bones.
Fluoride belongs on your teeth, not in your stomach.
hinkley•8mo ago
didgeoridoo•8mo ago
I’m sure there are at least six ways this isn’t quite accurate, but it’s an interesting analogy at least.
idiotsecant•8mo ago
You're the one who is incorrect here. We do, in fact, consume fluoride all the time in the food we eat and it has a role in bone and tooth health. The vast majority of people get more than enough in their regular diet (brewed tea has a fair amount) but there are probably extreme cases where a supplement might be required. Banning them is dumb and confidently posting about things you don't know for sure is worse.
didgeoridoo•8mo ago
There is no such thing as “enough” consumed fluorine. Consuming fluorine bypasses your teeth, the only place it does any good. Enamel is not generated with fluorine in it; it must be applied afterward for anticavity benefits.
amluto•8mo ago
There appear to be multiple sources stating that mild fluorosis is associated with increased resistance to cavities, e.g. [0], which seems inconsistent with your statement.
[0] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/books/NBK585039/
stubish•8mo ago
But further research points to https://www.adaq.org.au/Web/Web/Profession/Fluoridation_FAQs... , where item 4 indicates that, while true that fluoride is used when enamel is first formed, that it does little regarding cavities as the vast bulk of the work is done topically as you say, after the tooth erupts.
I can't find anything stating fluoride is required by children to form tooth enamel, or what happens when fluoride is topically applied but somehow not swallowed.