I’ve really loved so much of what I’ve learned from this podcast, but I can’t give financial support to someone who is supporting RFK Jr to the hilt after his comment that implied Jews and the Chinese directed COVID-19 as a bioweapon and are genetically less vulnerable. My Jewish girlfriend (who has long COVID), her Jewish family, and I are all adamantly anti-apartheid and pro-Palestinian, and would never conflate criticisms of Israel with Anti-semitism a la Bari Weiss or Keir Starmer. However, RFK Jr’s statement crosses a line: this is mask off, overt and legit antisemitism, and it cannot be excused. It deserves a strong censure and denouncement, and I haven’t seen that from Aaron. I’m sad to go, but I’m sadder to see that a person who has taught me a great deal about American history in a new lens either doesn’t recognize a dangerous crank when there is one, or is excusing him because of quixotic hopes that a millionaire whose family have been comfortably nested in elite circles since the 70s will somehow bring about the fall of the American empire. I don’t care that I agree with RFK about American foreign policy encouraging a Russian invasion of Ukraine, nor does his road to Damascus moment about the true and nefarious origins of assassinations in the 1960s excuse him. I’m disappointed in Aaron for throwing support to him while belittling the likes of Amy Goodman and Jacobin, and hope his listeners engage in their own critical thinking while digesting the information he’s disseminating. Besides that, the Peter Dale Scott series is good, but you can also just read PDS’s books. Aaron is just regurgitating extant scholarship, he’s not saying anything new. I think Jeff Morley is a more level-headed guy to read/listen to if you’re interested in the Kennedy assassination.
