and chronic heroin abuse and like Trump, the only progressive thing about him is the rapid progression of his downfall...

That said, history is complex and unless severely biased-- includes the good and the bad. Most figures in history can amply provide both. Fairly assessing the two extremes and providing the overall context is an admirable thing, and the likes of Beschloss, Brinkley, Meacham, Kearns-Goodwin, and others do quite well--at least for the Presidents-- past and present. They and others manage to do so in their books-- and in a more summary fashion, the Historical Rankings of the Presidents along with scores of their colleagues. I take that as the more complete "measure of the man" at least from the standpoint of their Presidencies and where they have published on the subject, their full political careers. Hopefully, soon, they will be doing so to take the "measure of the woman" occupying the White House.

...than everyone else's?

Frankly, I never ever liked the guy, objecting most strenuously to his tenure as River Keeper of the Hudson. He is advertised as an "environmental lawyer." I think the term is an oxymoron in his case.

I am, however, rather cynical about the Kennedy family in toto, particularly after reading Beschloss, by the way. He may have not intended as such, and may feel differently about the Kennedys than I do, but nonetheless, I read it that way.

and received chelation therapy for astronomical levels, but that is only so-so effective if the intake has been going on long-term. That is from his own mouth and published comments/writings. He likewise discussed it after admitting to the brain tapeworm idiocy--whether from undercooked pork, wild bear or other roadkill, those cyst(s) are not the only or even likely the major part of his brain injury over time. Drugs, parasites, and organic mercury toxicity--over years. Not a good mix, but a neurologist's wet dream for further study.

It sounds like paranoia to me. Let's not forget we're talking about an antivaxxer prone to conspiracy theories.

I know lots of people who eat tuna who are not insane.

I do understand the heroin thing, and I tend to believe he may have a brain worm, but I really, really, really don't care. I have known people with neurological problems, including brain damage, who remain nonetheless decent people. Gabby Giffords comes to mind.

Some reporting has confirmed the care given by a NYC neurologist for the neurocysticercosis and no, we aren't going to get his full medical records... But everything about him and his self-reporting is plausible. I also see no benefit to him lying about this. I have referred patients for chelation with identical ingestion history--albeit most learned better two decades ago (and moved on to increase their body-building risks (for cancer) with chronic anabolic steroids--something that RFK JR might well be abusing as well.

People lie all the time, to themselves and to each other, frequently, often spontaneously. It's the core of Trumpism.

I am not a medical professional, but I have long worked in the related field of pharmaceutical chemistry.

I have worked on the development of compounds related to fish oil, specifically those involving esters of DHA and EPA.

I took a brief tour in Google Scholar using the search terms "cognitive impairment" and tuna consumption since 2023. There is a decent number of hits, about 500. There seems to be a body of literature indicating positive associations between fish consumption and cognitive stability and resilience. This is not surprising to me, as I know that EPA (eicosopentenoic acid) is synthesized in only three known species, seaborne algae (which is the source in fish oil), black walnuts, and human (but not other mammalian) breast milk. There has been some speculation that its presence in breast milk has neurological implications that account for some of the putative intellectual development advantages associated with breast feeding.

There is some reference to mercury in these 500 hits, not a lot however.

I suspect that the main source of physiological mercury in this country is aerosols from coal fired powerplants, and that tuna consumption is less prominent. My admittedly brief foray into Google scholar suggests as much. Whether this source represents a reason for mass insanity is not for me to say, but I suspect other factors are more prominent.

All this said one of the features of antivaxxers, which includes obviously RFK Jr, Trumper, is a paranoid concern with trace thimerosal, a salicylic acid complex of mercury formerly used as a preservative in vaccines and a few other pharmaceutical preparations, but abandoned not because of any (discredited) association with mental health, in particular autism, but because of publicly inflated fear.

It's paranoia, not science.

The guy's a nut, and it's unsurprising to find paranoia about mercury poisoning to be a feature of his malevolent promotion of ignorance. I do not credit his self diagnosis. I have never actually thought highly of the guy, whenever I've suffered exposure to him, and I believe his fame is entirely tied to his family name - which doesn't mean much to me even if it does to many other people - and not to any accomplishments, intellectual or moral or otherwise. From my perspective, he's always been a shithead, a spoiled and pampered child demonstrating few, if any, redeeming qualities. He has just embraced publicly one of the worst people in the world. I find that unsurprising.

Read the medical epidemiological and clinical toxicological literature. You are ill-informed on this.

New Deal and Second Bill of Rights ideology, policies and proposals.

(snip)

In our day these economic truths have become accepted as self-evident. We have accepted, so to speak, a second Bill of Rights under which a new basis of security and prosperity can be established for all regardless of station, race, or creed.

Among these are:

The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the Nation;

The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation;

The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent living;

The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad;

The right of every family to a decent home;

The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health;

The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment;

The right to a good education.

All of these rights spell security. And after this war is won we must be prepared to move forward, in the implementation of these rights, to new goals of human happiness and well-being.

America's own rightful place in the world depends in large part upon how fully these and similar rights have been carried into practice for our citizens. For unless there is security here at home there cannot be lasting peace in the world.

http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/archives/address_text.html#:~:text=The%20right%20of%20every%20family,right%20to%20a%20good%20education.

(snip)

In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility--I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it--and the glow from that fire can truly light the world.

And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country.

My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.

Finally, whether you are citizens of America or citizens of the world, ask of us here the same high standards of strength and sacrifice which we ask of you. With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God's work must truly be our own.

https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/president-john-f-kennedys-inaugural-address#:~:text=And%20so%2C%20my%20fellow%20Americans,for%20the%20freedom%20of%20man.

Thanks for the thread NNadir

...well.

His elocution in reading this and other Sorensen speeches was impeccable.

The question is whether he actually believed what Sorensen wrote.

We all bore the psychological burden of nearly stumbling into nuclear war because he was unprepared to present himself as something other than a lightweight at the Vienna summit with Krushchev. This was the opportunity for each man to take the measure of the other. Rather than recognize the seriousness of this, Kennedy chose, as I understand it, to indulge in his proclivity for partying with women. Excuse the anachronisms, but I do not believe that Khrushchev would have played so fast and loose in Cuba if at Vienna he met a Truman, or Obama, or Biden or for that matter a Carter or a Clinton. Instead he would have met a firm and serious leader, who even were they the type of Cold Warrior that Kennedy was, having campaigned on a nonexistent "missle gap," a cold warrior with whom only Reagan can compare, our President would have not come across as a unserious easily distracted fool.

In terms of having actually avoided a nuclear war in the crisis, an analogy I would make would be to ask if we offer praise to a drunk driver who causes a collision but then wants or gets praise for rescuing his victims from their burning car. The question is not whether the Cuban missile crisis was resolved without war, but rather whether it should have happened in the first place.