Supporters of liberty had much reason for hope due to Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. becoming secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This man’s tenacity and eloquence in challenging the coronavirus crackdowns suggested great potential accomplishments for both liberty and health at HHS with him in the lead.
Indeed, there are early signs that HHS under Kennedy’s oversight is seeking to roll back the dangerous to health and liberty extreme vaccine pushing mission the department has pursued in recent decades. But, there is also reason to worry — including news earlier this month of the HHS fast-tracking an experimental bird flu shot — that this roll back will turn out to be quite limited.
One thing surprising people is that Kennedy’s HHS is acting like a police baton to whack American institutions and individuals into submission to the demand that they show allegiance to the Israel government. First, HHS became one of three parts of the US government leading an effort to punish colleges if they fail to stomp out “antisemitism” — defined bizarrely to include criticism of the Israel government — communicated by leadership, employees, or students. Kennedy, in the announcement of this endeavor, even made the extraordinary claim that such targeted free speech, press, and assembly is a manifestation of illness. This is the same sort of “medicalization” of ideas and communication that the Soviet Union employed to suppress dissent.
Then, this week, came news that HHS subsidiary the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has, effective immediately, barred any entity that boycotts Israel from continuing to spend, or receiving any new, NIH grants. Given the importance of NIH grants in medical research, this new demand threatens to shut down much research and upend the lives of many people employed in research projects. All this is done based on a criterion that has nothing to do with the task-relevant qualifications of the grant seekers or the quality of their work. Out with merit. In with kissing up. That does not seem conducive to achieving Kennedy’s often repeated goal to Make America Healthy Again. It also seems a big divergence from the protecting liberty objective many Kennedy supporters hoped he would pursue.
These actions from HHS are in a way not a surprise because Kennedy made clear in his 2024 presidential run that he was a major booster for the Israel government, praising it without caveat. He even went so far as to make the following declaration in a Twitter post: “As President, my support of Israel will be unconditional.” But, at the same time, it seemed reasonable to think that, given HHS’s focus on health matters in America, Kennedy’s Israel views would be irrelevant in his new job. Well, surprise, surprise: In the Donald Trump administration it turns out that, with Kennedy at the helm, even HHS can put Israel First.
During the coronavirus crackdowns, Kennedy stood up for people who opposed taking experimental shots, wearing masks, or going along with other government admonitions and dictates. But, now his HHS, reminiscent of the “Soup Nazi” in the Seinfeld episode, is saying “no funding for you” if you don’t stand with Israel. What a letdown.
The HHS thought police are on the march. Fail to fall in line in support of the Israel government and you will be punished. HHS and its fellow US government departments have not reached the level of domination used to ensure love for Big Brother in George Orwell’s 1984. But, hey, the Trump administration is just three months into its Israel boosting operation. These things take time.
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