I saw the whole RFK and CDC debacle, how the agency is being weaponized to be antivax, and I cannot for the life of me understand what is happening. What does RFK has to gain with stopping vacines? What does the government gains from it? It cannot be just for show political streght, is it? Just to say “ha, in your face!” and then cause huge troubles for themselves down the road? There must be something they will have right now. But what is it? Money? Contracts? Favours?
I broadly agree but there’s not necessarily anything altruistic about the “good” that they’re doing—they’ve just found a way to justify what they want/decide to do, same as everyone. They don’t have to believe it’s good for people or the world. As long as they can find a reason why those harms don’t matter, or convince themselves that those people/the world would’ve been fucked regardless, or figure at least they’re not doing [insert some other scenario they can imagine], they can live with themselves. And they can focus on who it is good for (their kids perhaps, and all the people in their lives who are undoubtedly pressuring them to abuse their power).
I just wanted to speak up for that nuance, because to me “they think they’re doing good” implies that they value the ideals of doing actual good…and I don’t think there’s necessarily true.