Join journalist Derek Beres, co-host of the Conspirituality podcast, as he unpacks the complex and often troubling intersections of wellness and conspiracy theories. He critiques RFK Jr.’s ‘Make America Healthy Again’ agenda, calling it a mask for exclusionary health policies. Beres sheds light on the backlash against Kennedy's MMR vaccine endorsement and the dangerous narratives about autism. The conversation also touches on the absurdity of social media health trends and the political biases affecting children's health reporting.
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Maha Agenda Masks Soft Eugenics
RFK Jr.'s Maha agenda exploits concerns about poor healthcare but offers mostly wellness industry solutions.
It flattens complex health issues into single causes, echoing 'soft eugenics' ideas about health responsibility.
insights INSIGHT
Soft Eugenics in Health Policy
RFK Jr.'s health vision reflects a 'soft eugenics' mindset blaming individuals for health issues.
This approach ignores broader causes and seeks to "correct" perceived genetic problems, dangerous in public health.
insights INSIGHT
Misplaced Blame in Obesity Debate
RFK Jr. partly blames issues like obesity on SNAP recipients buying soda, ignoring systemic food access problems.
His policies risk further hurting low-income and minority populations under the guise of health improvements.
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In 'No Logo', Naomi Klein examines the rise of corporate branding and its effects on culture, work, and consumer choice. The book is divided into four parts: 'No Space', 'No Choice', 'No Jobs', and 'No Logo'. Klein discusses how multinational corporations prioritize brand marketing over product manufacturing, leading to issues such as sweatshops, corporate censorship, and the erosion of public spaces. She also highlights various resistance movements, including culture jamming and anti-globalization protests, and argues for a more just and sustainable economic model.
RFK Jr. is now running the Department of Health and Human Services. So we sat down with journalist and Conspirituality co-host Derek Beres to get an idea about how long it will take for Kennedy’s "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) agenda to revive the black plague.
We chat about why Beres argues that Kennedy's wellness-sounding platform masks an exclusionary health vision which amounts to “soft eugenics,” RFK Jr’s endorsement of the MMR vaccine and how this angered his followers, harmful narratives about autism which will probably be endorsed by the federal government, and how the MAHA Commission's AI-generated report doesn’t seriously address health problems facing children.
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Derek Beres on BlueSky
https://bsky.app/profile/derekberes.bsky.social
Conspirituality Podcast
https://www.conspirituality.net/
Re:frame substack
https://derekberes.substack.com/
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Editing by Corey Klotz. Theme by Nick Sena. Additional music by Pontus Berghe. Theme Vocals by THEY/LIVE (https://instagram.com/theyylivve / https://sptfy.com/QrDm). Cover Art by Pedro Correa: (https://pedrocorrea.com)
https://qaapodcast.com
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SOURCES
Maga’s era of ‘soft eugenics’: let the weak get sick, help the clever breed
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2025/may/04/maga-soft-eugenics
Florida becomes second state to ban adding fluoride to drinking water
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/15/florida-fluoride-drinking-water
Health secretary RFK Jr. endorses the MMR vaccine — stoking fury among his supporters
https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/04/07/nx-s1-5354900/hhs-rfk-endorses-mmr-measles-vaccine-stoking-supporters-fury
RFK Jr. Misleads on Autism Prevalence, Causes
https://www.factcheck.org/2025/04/rfk-jr-misleads-on-autism-prevalence-causes/
Water fluoridation for the prevention of dental caries
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26092033/
Effectiveness of fluoride in preventing caries in adults
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17452559/
National COVID-19 trends, May 27
https://thesicktimes.org/2025/05/27/national-covid-19-trends-may-27/
The MAHA Report Cites Studies That Don’t Exist
https://www.notus.org/health-science/make-america-healthy-again-report-citation-errors
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