#66

This situation is the worst. So far.

America is going to look like an utopia compared to Europe at this rate if it continues and compounds.

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#67

The only hope I have for this continent is if the German chancellor candidate Merz wins the election. But enough of politics as it is making me beyond angry.

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#68

I am taking a monthly break on Rapamycin, just because.
But I personally experienced significant benefit on gums, skin, muscles and energy level. My blood work has been normal pre and post. So I am likely to resume rapamycin after the month break. And I am not on significant other supplements.

Backdrop: initially taking rapamycin for my psoriasis as a prednisone sparing agent.

On BJ, he has the luxury of many other experimental venues that we the averge joe do not have. So rapamycin remains a top choice for me, unless my blood work proves otherwise.

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#69
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#70

This feels like the ChatGPT release and onward but politically.

#71

RFK.Jr., Is not anti-vaccine. He merely believes in the American right of free choice.
That’s why I live in this country. BTW, I took the Pfizer vaccine and the booster my to my regret.

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#72

I’ll be pleasantly surprised if RJKjr has any impact on the food dye / ultra-processed food industry. He seems to want even less regulation of the supplement industry, which is already virtually unregulated and shipping lots of adulterated products… so that seems likely to shorten lives, to the benefit of scam supplement companies. I don’t expect much positive to in the area of Pharma or FDA given his clear lack of knowledge in the area; and powerful, well-funded Pharma lobbying groups that will push back. Chaos seems to be the most likely outcome, but we’ll see.

If ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR. indeed plays a big role in the Trump administration’s food policy, the country could be in for a major change from how Republicans typically regulate the industry, [WaPo’s Rachel Roubein, Lauren Weber, Michael Scherer and David Ovalle report}.

Kennedy wants to make food more healthful, cracking down on food dye or ultra-processed foods in school lunches — and the 2025 version of Dietary Guidelines for Americans could present an opportunity to effect change. One industry lobbyist warns that Kennedy’s plans would be like the Biden administration “on steroids.” But other Kennedy health priorities worry everyone from Democrats to public health experts.

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#73

Chaos is to be expected, because chaos comes from the top, and we have the track record of chaos.

“What’s past is prologue” - William Shakespeare, “The Tempest” Antonio, Act II, scene 1.

Chaos completely expected, because “those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it” - no, not Santayana 1905, but Winston Churchill, 1948 speech to the British House of Commons.

But, nothing is ever exactly the same and “no man ever steps into the same river twice” - Heraclitus - instead, “history repeats itself, first as a tragedy, second as farce” - not one of the Marx brothers.

I am looking forward to epic chaos and fabulous farce, popcorn ready.

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#75

So, you think it is okay to ban hundreds of food additives and dyes from European food supplies but okay to be fed to American children?

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#76

Every experiment need an active group and a control one.

#77

I’m so excited about this. Time to clean up all the corruption. The future has never looked brighter

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#78

This is why we need RFK or someone else willing to go up against a corrupt bureaucracy. Whoever gets the job won’t be alone. With the huge budget of HHS I’m sure Vivek and Elon will be involved.

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#79

Fantastic! As a strong proponent of democracy, I am happy to see democracy exercised. The people voted. There is no excuse. Whatever happens from here on, is the consequence of a free and fair vote. I’m with Mencken here: “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” No pity, no excuse and no regrets. I am very happy and I approve.

That said, every empire eventually declines, and that can happen with the blessing of the populace as a democratic majority vote. Great Britain was the largest empire (certainly geographically), in history, and declined due to both historical forces, and also mismanagement by democratically elected governments who were unequal to the task of meeting the monumental challenge. Recently we’ve seen, again in the same country, the wonder of Brexit, where the population democratically voted to carefully aim a shotgun at their own two feet and pull the trigger, and the unravelling is not so much a tragedy as a fabulous farce. I approve! It’s ok. We are so great and powerful a country, that it’s an unyielding truth, already foreseen by one of the wisest leaders our nation had ever seen, Abraham Lincoln, who understood that America can only be destroyed by ourselves, not by external enemies. The epitaph will read, as so often happens in the history of empires, “they did it to themselves”. AND THAT IS OK. There is no exceptionalism here. We too, will inevitably “decline and fall”. It happens to everyone.

Why is it completely OK, and nobody’s fault? Because we could not have done better. This is the best possible outcome we had any right to expect. After all, there are literally no better alternatives, as already observed by Churchill: Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others.

The voters chose, freely and democratically, and as citizens we should proudly celebrate that result. And so do I, as I look forward to the great entertainment that awaits us, in the well trod footsteps with a rich history - bread and circuses. A clear promise was made, and we should have no complaint. I am certainly not complaining - my allotted bread is being toasted, I cannot wait for all the excitement, and RFKjr seems like a fine gladiator entering the ring, let the games begin!

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#80

Across history, it appears the decline and fall portion of the empire cycle has sped up dramatically. RFK appears relatively sane against the nominations of Hegsef, Gabbard & Gaetz. I await MTG for weather control.

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#81

All you said is true with couple caveats:

  1. For one to fall another one must rise. As China is/was believed to be replacing USA soon, I for one, don’t see it happening. Reasons are many, but I’ll just mention one. China’s median population age in 1970 stood at 20 years old, today is at 40, and by 2050 is expected to be 61. No 61-year-old will be able to go in the ring and win a fight with a 35-year-old especially if the 35-year-old is already the holding champion (unless of course they are taking RAPA HAHA)

  2. As you rightly point out many empires have risen and fallen/died yet their average lifespan (without even RAPA) is somewhere in the 300-600 years. By those standards USA is still an infant or at best in its preteen years.

Yes, history does repeat itself (unless maybe one day it doesn’t) and yes empires rise and fall, but this ONE will most likely stand long after me and you are no more (even accounting for the effects of RAPA LOL).

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#82

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It’s joever pharma bros

#83

"The RFK Jr. pick for HHS secretary
Katelyn Jetelina and Kristen Panthagani, MD, PhD
Nov 15

Yesterday, President-elect Trump announced that RFK Jr. would be his pick to lead the Health and Human Services. If Congress confirms his position, someone with an established track record of ignoring reality will lead our nation’s health agencies, including the FDA, CDC, and NIH.

For many of us who have devoted our lives to public health, science, and medicine—driven by an unwavering commitment to improving the health and well-being of Americans—this strikes deep. A mix of profound sadness, anger, exhaustion, and disbelief because the playing field has now completely shifted: Instead of pushing forward toward a healthier society, it’s now about keeping us from moving backward.

Yesterday, I tried—over and over—to find the right words for a YLE post, struggling to convey what feels like an assault on our work and our mission.

How do you express, in a few lines, the unsettling reality that someone with a catalog of lies so long is now tapped to be in charge of the public’s health? From his false claims that vaccines cause autism (they don’t), or that HIV does not cause AIDS (it does), or antidepressants are linked to mass shootings (they aren’t), or chemicals in water making kids trans (they don’t), or to Wi-Fi causing cancer (it doesn’t). The list of falsehoods feels endless.

How do you effectively warn about the oncoming hurricane of confusion and anxiety? Or, worse, the heartbreak because people will make ill-informed decisions when they really are just trying to do what they think is best? The dread because I know damn well that a “lie can go around the world before the truth gets its pants on.”

How do you capture the gravity of the moment as public health workers and scientists brace for the undermining of critical health programs and resources—built over decades—to be dismantled or misdirected?"

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#84

Lies presumes he knows they are false but still say them. RFK Jr. is probably a true believer.

The only question I think we have to ask is if we can measure the effects of what he does? No other question really matters, because reality and causality will speak for itself. If it’s a decrease in vaccine coverage, we will have outbreaks, for example.

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On another note the problem with personal health and longevity things take so long to happen, for better or worse. That’s why people can deny the negative effects cholesterol have, or vaccines associated with decrease risk of dementia. And we can’t think about it properly.

Part of the reason why we can’t think about it can be that the selection pressure has just been make it to childbearing age and reproduce. That means our brains have not been wired for anything on long time horizons to find true relationships in reality unless we really try hard, especially non-intuitive compounding effects.

So in that sense it makes sense to find these videos or posts with false claims, bullshit ones, gathering millions of views, with all of the comments agreeing on it, and the same thing happening everywhere for all of time forever. Their (and our) brains were not wired for it to begin with.

I don’t even think it’s possible to do a software update, it seems to be against the odds. I don’t even know how a hardware update would look like, as all of the smart people believe false things too.

#85

The problem is corruption. Look at LVareilles post with pictures of former FDA commissioner’s now working for big Pharma. More than half of the FDA’s budget comes from “user fees” paid for by big Pharma and big food. The user fees system started in the early 90’s in response to pressure to approve Aids drugs faster. The FDA negotiates with big Pharma on timelines and other things in exchange for money. It’s basically a bribe system. And huge numbers of FDA officials get high paying jobs with big Pharma/big food. Also part of the bribe system.

When I was in high school in the mid 60’s, I was in an economics class. I read a paragraph about lobbyists in Washington DC. I said to the teacher, “You mean there is an entire class of people whose job it is to bribe public officials on behalf of their clients?” The teacher looked at me and smiled while nodding yes!

Anyone that wants too put an end to that stuff is not too extreme. They are on the right track.

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#86

Our nations health agencies are mostly corrupt. If they were pushing for a healthier society why is our national health on the decline? Life expectancy on the decline. Whatever our “health agencies” have been up to for decades isn’t working out very well. The Covid mess shined a light on the corruption. Vaccines rushed to market. Fauci and other healthcare officials lying to us on TV nearly every day. Wear masks, covid absolutely didn’t start in Wuhan Lab, etc.

At least with Bobby Kennedy there is a chance weeding out the corruption, or at least diluting it. bClearly the status quo doesn’t work out for us. It only works out for the corrupt officials. I’d like to see that change.

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