Get Ready for a Catastrophic Four Years for Public Health

Time ^ | Nov 8, 2024 | Simon Williams

[where's_the_Outrage?]

Donald Trump may only be president for another four years, but the impacts of his administration on public health could be catastrophic for a long time to come. While we don’t know exactly what will happen, there’s no doubt the next four years could see attempts to curtail the authority and autonomy of federal health agencies like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)— something that the President-elect tried during his first term. However, despite Trump’s bravado around letting RFK Jr “go wild” and “do what he wants” on health, it’s unlikely that sweeping closures or reconstructions of federal agencies will be feasible. A more fundamental issue is the likelihood that another Trump term could further undermine scientific regulatory authorities—turning the cracks in public trust that his first administration helped cause into veritable chasms.

The concern is not just about what the Trump 2.0 Administration will do, but also about what it will say. RFK Jr., one of the so-called “Disinformation Dozen,” was already the most influential figure of anti-vax movements. Now, it looks as though he will have the ear of the president. The culture of conspiracism will likely cascade through and beyond government, with well-known misinformation-mongers being rumored to be in line for top health roles. For instance, Dr. Joseph Ladapo, the Florida Surgeon General, is rumored to be in the running to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The fact that people who espouse views that deviate far from the scientific mainstream are being considered to head some of the most revered institutions is a sign of how contrarian or cavalier a Trump 2.0 administration could be when it comes to public health.

[Nervous Tick]

>> LOL, I’d be happy if they would revert to the kind of wheat that humans can much better tolerate, then at least it won’t be poisonous.

There is something to this; at least, that is what Mrs. Tick assures me. The root cause reason for so much gluten intolerance in the nation is GMO wheat, or something.

Who knows, she may be right. I still love my storebought white bread! I’m gonna die of *something*. :-)

[RckyRaCoCo]

Covid/Vax need to be THOROUGHLY investigated. Spare no expense. People died, economies died, businesses died, politics were usurped, freedoms were trashed, debt skyrocketed, inflation zoomed...

[BobL]

“Who knows, she may be right. I still love my storebought white bread!”

Don’t think that I’m any different - we can have heathy wheat and great bread at the same time (heck, we used to), but yields would be way down. So it was a choice for government: Big yields or healthy citizens. They chose the first option.