this post was submitted on 17 Jul 2023
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Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is facing widespread criticism from political leaders and civil rights organizations after a video surfaced of him making false claims that COVID-19 was designed to attack certain ethnic groups while sparing Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people — a conspiracy theory that drew accusations of antisemitism and racism.

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[–] MasterObee@lemmy.world -4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

saying there is a Jewish-chinese conspiracy to destroy the white race.

Where did he say this?

[–] theceoofanarchism@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

He implied the virus was bio engineered and Ashkenazi and Han were made immune are you being deliberately dense. Here is his quote

"COVID-19. There is an argument that it is ethnically targeted. COVID-19 attacks certain races disproportionately,"

He also said

"COVID-19 is targeted to attack Caucasians and Black people. The people who are most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese," he continued, adding, "We don't know whether it was deliberately targeted or not but there are papers out there that show the racial or ethnic differential and impact."

[–] MasterObee@lemmy.world -3 points 1 year ago (3 children)

“COVID-19. There is an argument that it is ethnically targeted. COVID-19 attacks certain races disproportionately,”

Are you claiming that there are no differences between ethnicities and the harshness of covid?

COVID-19 is targeted to attack Caucasians and Black people. The people who are most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese,” he continued, adding, “We don’t know whether it was deliberately targeted or not but there are papers out there that show the racial or ethnic differential and impact.”

What's wrong with that? He said we don't know the origins. That's fact. He said we do know they affect different ethnicities differently, that's fact.

You're trying to push a narrative against him for that.

Come on, dude.

[–] theceoofanarchism@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

We don't know the exact origins but we should assume given the likelihood it is and the lack of evidence otherwise that's its perfectly natural to do otherwise is crazy. He is obviously throwing racist dog whistles that you are refusing to see that shows you are a racist and I really see no point talking to you.

[–] MasterObee@lemmy.world -1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

We don’t know the exact origins

And many big organizations say there's a reasonable chance that it was lab altered.

we should assume given the likelihood it is and the lack of evidence otherwise that’s its perfectly natural

We don't know the origins, as you said before, but we should assume it was natural? I don't assume either way, but it seems weird you claimed both these things.

He is obviously throwing racist dog whistles

No, he's not. He said that we don't know if it was created/altered by humans or not.

But we do know it affects different ethnicities differently, which is, once again, objectively right.

refusing to see that shows you are a racist

Refusing to think like you makes me a racist? I think we have different definitions of racist.

[–] theceoofanarchism@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The vast majority of diseases are natural so assuming its engineered without hard evidence is silly. What big organizations not tainted by racism or a conservative political agenda say believe the insane lab leak theory or worse deliberate infections. He implied heavily that the virus was made by a jewish chinese alliance to hurt americans that's a racist talking point that you think its not and you are getting upvoted and me down voted makes me rethink using this website. How does it affect different "races" differently races don't exist biologically so any effect would have to do with culturally health support and other factors. Saying covid was a deliberate jewish conspiracy is racist yes do you not think saying that is?

[–] MasterObee@lemmy.world -3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

The vast majority of diseases are natural so assuming its engineered without hard evidence is silly

The scientific community has been vocal that it's reasonably likely it was altered in the coronavirus lab. You being anti-science is your problem, not RFK's.

[–] RaincoatsGeorge@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Actually that’s incorrect. There’s no consensus with multiple agencies coming to different conclusions ranging from maybe it was to we have no idea.

No one has found any smoking gun. But what is more telling is the conspiratards that dog pile on this topic as if the question of its origin somehow validates all their stupid bullshit over the past 3 years. It doesn’t, and all the anti mask anti vaccine idiots have blood on their hands that people like me will never, ever let them forget.

So until we find actual proof, this remains soundly in the category of unknowns.

[–] MasterObee@lemmy.world -1 points 1 year ago

so....exactly what I said. It's a reasonable likeliness.

[–] MasterObee@lemmy.world -1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Dang, you see this new article yesterday? https://archive.is/jnSIS

"The Biden administration formally halted the Wuhan Institute of Virology’s access to US funding, citing unanswered safety and security questions for the facility at the center of the Covid lab leak theory. "

Oh wait, biden is probably just a right win lunatic "conspiratard", huh?

[–] RaincoatsGeorge@lemmy.zip 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Ah, trouble with reading comprehension I see. Don’t worry you’ll get there.

As I stated, there’s no consensus and no smoking gun, this also doesn’t cite the Biden administration claiming they caused the leak just that there are security concerns.

So this still proves nothing definitively, but it sure seems like you need it to prove something, which is the bigger issue in my mind. If you need it to be a lab leak to ‘show you were right all along’ you probably are generally incorrect about things and at worst are peddling racist conspiracy theories with no foundation other than that you want it to be true.

Covid showed just how shallow and stupid so many people are. We really got to see some of you guys show your true colors. Just know that there will always be people like me who will never let you forget what you did during that time.

People don’t forget.

[–] MasterObee@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

And my whole argument was "Reasonable likeliness"

Come on man, I didn't say anything concrete, or say anythings proven. You just dismiss it because it's not proven. There's a middle ground, like ya know, percentages.

You have 1 percent, 2 percent, 10 percent, and so on and so forth. So there's a scale rather than a binary "not proven, can't exist"

[–] RaincoatsGeorge@lemmy.zip 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

There’s two equally compelling sources of the virus. The wet market located in wuhan which easily could have been a source. Or the lab where they were studying coronaviruses and also easily could have been a source.

It’s important to remember the reason the coronavirus lab was located in wuhan was specifically because there was a place locally where it could be easily obtained.

What’s the truth in that. How do you point to the exact source without making assumptions, and at that point you’re just filling in the blanks for whatever you want to believe or what supports your worldview .

You can point to lots of things that china fucked up about the pandemic, but as we have seen, even with advanced warning the US completely failed to prepare or appropriately handle the pandemic.

There’s a lot of people that need to be held accountable for their bullshit during that time. It’s better than grasping at xenophobic speculation.

[–] MasterObee@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The wet market located in wuhan which easily could have been a source. Or the lab where they were studying coronaviruses and also easily could have been a source.

Sweet. You finally agree with me of what the scientific communities consensus has been since they stopped censorship of the theory - there's a reasonable likeliness it was a lab leak.

[–] RaincoatsGeorge@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Again, I never said it wasn’t possible, just that there’s no proof that’s what it was. It’s pure speculation. And speculation to me is worth Fucking nothing, merely the folly of people with too much time on their hands .

[–] MasterObee@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You argued against me saying it was reasonably likely, and just said it was for "conspiratards." I think that's a core difference between us, I don't compare people to retards simply because we have disagreements.

It's okay to be wrong, move on bud, and try to be a bit nicer to people that have different opinions than you. It's okay to disagree and be civil.

[–] RaincoatsGeorge@lemmy.zip 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I’d have to be wrong first, and that’s not apparent here unfortunately. But I appreciate your willingness to jump into whatever speculative claim supports your skewed worldview.

[–] MasterObee@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago

Reasonable likeliness, homie. Once again, you're just showing how anti-science you are.

[–] theceoofanarchism@lemmy.dbzer0.com 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Except you are wrong they don't believe that . The lab leak theory is total bunk. The natural zoonosis theory is the prevailing and evidence based opinion.

[–] MasterObee@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

Just because you don't believe it means that it's not real.

https://oversight.house.gov/release/covid-origins-hearing-wrap-up-facts-science-evidence-point-to-a-wuhan-lab-leak%EF%BF%BC/

There's enough consensus from the scientific community to say we don't know, especially with the understanding that china is not transparent with the world.

So, once again

RFK said 2 facts. That's it. Find some real dirt on him if you want to trash him.

[–] spark947@lemm.ee 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] MasterObee@lemmy.world -1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I read your source, and found this:

Neither of the Science papers provide the smoking gun — that is, an animal infected with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus at a market.

Republicans are lying g to you for pitiful points. Sorry.

Ahhhh yes, the government house oversight committee is just republicans. Read the sources, read the facts, listen to the organizations and scientists and they say it's reasonably likely it was a lab leak of some sorts. Is it more likely that it was natural? Yes. But does that mean it 100% was and we shouldn't question it, no. Absolutely not. You're an idiot if you think it's beyond question, and anti-science if you think it's beyond question.

[–] spark947@lemm.ee 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yeah, this is very disingenuous. That was the single concession in an article full of proof that that meet market played an important role in spreading the virus, and that it is probable that is where transmission occurred. Short of detecting and recording the original infection, which is very unlikely to have happened due to the nature of the virus.

And yes, the house oversight committee is controlled by Republicans, because they make committee appointments after they gained control of the house of representatives in the 2022 midterms, and this was a political priority for them. If you read their release, it is clear that the questions were lead by Republicans.

Now we cannot be 100% sure what the origins are, so we can make a conspiracy theory that that chain engineered the virus and planted it, severly infecting their own population, in order to unleash a worldwide pandemic because... reasons...

Or we can acknowledge that a scenario that was pretty widely anticipated occurred, and it became a political priority for the Republicans to deny after trump started to, which they then pursued with their new policial power in the house. But a politician would never lie to you right?

[–] MasterObee@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Dang, you see this new article yesterday? https://archive.is/jnSIS

"The Biden administration formally halted the Wuhan Institute of Virology’s access to US funding, citing unanswered safety and security questions for the facility at the center of the Covid lab leak theory. "

Oh wait, biden is probably just a right win lunatic, huh?

[–] spark947@lemm.ee 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That lab has been very notorious for withholding data on the origins of the virus, and deserves sanctions. Doesn't mean that Jews engineered it in collaboration with the Chinese government.

[–] MasterObee@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Doesn’t mean that Jews engineered it in collaboration with the Chinese government.

Nobody said jews and chinese engineered it.

The whole point of the convo is there is a reasonable likeliness it was a lab leak, and you deny it straight up 100%. You're being anti-science.

[–] spark947@lemm.ee 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Come on man, lab leak is not what rfk is saying, and by brining it up here you are inying that his conspiracy theories are right.

[–] MasterObee@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago

lab leak theory is saying some sort of human alteration of a virus.

Okay I'm done with this your racist peddling of an insane conspiracy theory is tiresome. You linked to what was a propaganda write up by conservative racist republicans with an agenda not the overwhelming consensus of scientists and experts.

[–] Mostly_Harmless@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

He was talking about covid in the context of engineered bioweapons. That the virus has been more severe with people of color can, and has been explained by racial inequity and access to care.

"The overrepresentation of African Americans among confirmed COVID-19 cases and number of deaths underscores the fact that the coronavirus pandemic, far from being an equalizer, is amplifying or even worsening existing social inequalities tied to race, class, and access to the health care system." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7762908/#:~:text=Approximately%2097.9%20out%20of%20every,Asians%20(40.4%20per%20100%2C000).

[–] MasterObee@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

What makes you think he was talking about covid in the context of engineered bioweapons?

He said "there are papers out there that show the racial or ethnic differential and impact."

You provided one such paper that shows that there are differences in how covid impacted different communities. Whether that's due to obesity rates, socioeconomic status or healthcare access.

"Kennedy later posted a video statement on Sunday, saying in part: "Nobody has suggested that these were deliberately engineered changes and I certainly don't believe that they were deliberately engineered,"

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] MasterObee@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

select as an object of attention

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Select? Attention? Hmm. That sounds like it has agency. But then a disease can't have agency, so it must be someone with agency using the disease. Almost as if it's a bioweapon.

If it's targeted, that is.

[–] MasterObee@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Sounds like the virus infecting an individual falls under targeting.

You're the only one suggesting it was a bio weapon.

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Nope. Kennedy was when he mentioned COVID "targeting" certain ethnic groups in virtually the same breath as discussing bioweapons targeting certain ethnic groups. One thing directly related to the other. He didn't have to draw a map.

[–] MasterObee@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

COVID “targeting” certain ethnic groups in virtually the same breath as discussing bioweapons targeting certain ethnic groups. One thing directly related to the other.

He said 2 things:

  1. viruses can be changed by humans

  2. viruses can affect different minorities differently

In the article it even says "Kennedy later posted a video statement on Sunday, saying in part: "Nobody has suggested that these were deliberately engineered changes and I certainly don't believe that they were deliberately engineered," but calling it "kind of a proof of concept that you can develop bioweapons that will attack certain ethnicities."

is it a bad sound bite? Yeah, should he be more careful, yeah. But no, he didn't imply that it was a bioweapon created to target everyone but jews and chinese. He clarified after that he 'certainly' doesn't believe they were engineered.

People just want to latch on to bad sound bites bc his parties mad he's getting some traction against a senile 82 YO man.

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago

It wasn't a soundbite, it was a full video. I watched it. He was talking about the Chinese creating ethnic bioweapons and then pivoted to COVID not "targeting" Chinese people. It was not a change of subject, just a pivot. The obvious implication was that COVID was engineered. Why does he have to literally come out and say that explicitly? Does everything have to be literally spelled out to you?

I'm starting to think you didn't watch the video and are trying to tell me what I saw and heard with my own eyes and ears was not what I saw and heard.