RFK Jr: We spent $0 on chronic disease when JFK was president.

[no_hypocrisy]

10. From before 1960 until almost 1964, my father practiced medicine as an Internist

and Cardiologist.

Most doctors practiced their profession literally in their homes.

When my father began his practice, you'd go to the same doctor in your town. The doctor would birth you, make house calls to your bedside when you had a fever or a cold, treat an ingrown toenail, check for hernias in your scrotum when it was time to join a school sports team, advise you to lose weight, and about age 60, would advise you get your affairs in order because both sexes were ready to die around that age. And the doctor would pronounce you and speak to your surviving spouse.

And one reason why there was "Zero Dollars" spent on chronic disease was because medical schools and medical journals were noticeably silent about this new area of medicine. Almost everyone smoked, including my father, the doctor: cigarettes, cigars, pipes. To his credit, he did a full stop when the American Cancer Society made a definitive finding that smoking was linked to lung and other cancers (esophageal), heart disease, etc. He didn't want to be a hypocrite while pontificating about the dangers.

Having the federal government join his crusade was welcomed. More research into pharmaceuticals to prolong lives and to forestall potential surgery. Better x-ray technology. Better lab tests.

In closing, because new developments in chronic disease came out after JFK's Administration, my father was able to take a patient, aged 60 and whose previous doctor told him "it wouldn't be long," and extend his life past 90. In fact, a LOT OF patients were 90.

My father's dedication was to his patients, not the bottom line.

RFK, Jr. has to be the most stupid graduate of Harvard.