Big Pharma’s obscenely-priced drugs developed w/tax dollars will continue to drain working people of income, savings, and – ultimately – their health until America recognizes healthcare as a right
We as a country are robbing ourselves of the dignity everyone deserves. Till we get a single payer system that covers everyone, we will just keep paying the crooks. Seems to me the reason other countries have decided not to get gouged is because they have universal coverage that they collectively pay for. They all have skin in the game.
We deserve affordable health care, and we need to fight the greed. This newsletter is a great example, and it should be passed onto all congressional members. I hope everyone does that; it would be a good way to thank Thom for his work. You could also call to mention Molnupiravir, Merck, and March-in Authority. Throw in the issue of price negotiation for Medicare, and that you are "sick and tired" of being robbed.
I guess it depends on what you think lobbyists are supposed to do i.e., what is their purpose? If the lobbyists you want to get rid of are those that act as agents for oligarchs and other wealthy sociopaths, it would take the most special of legislative activities to make that happen. Since these dark side lobbyists are paid to manage our exploitable public sector decision-makers (and their “work products”), it is unlikely that conventional legislation can preclude their employers from maintaining their status quo. These lobbyists are the bagmen that petition our elected and appointed officials with bribes and/or other coercions. Never forget the tale of Billy Tauzin-the poster child for Pharma’s powers of corporate personhood (and how much he loved his mother). In addition, today’s lobbyists to the oligarchs have an array of technological wonders to exploit and what they have achieved in perverting the causes of academia is nothing short of breathtaking (literally). Lobbyists conspire with other oligarchic subcontractors, like the 21st century propaganda outlets, religious leaders and our eminently degreed biostitutes of carbon , drugs, food, and war.
However, if we lived in an America where corporations are no longer citizens, and money no longer equals speech (and we have 100% public campaign financing), I think that the purpose of lobbyists should be to sell the value of their clients’ products/services to our elected decision-makers and not be able to bribe/coerce them. These neo corporate lobbyists should earn their money by showing our government and our citizens how they can help promote the general welfare of our citizens and/or help protect us from those who do things adverse to our rights and communities’ interests. If they’re not doing that, then what are we paying them for?
We as a country are robbing ourselves of the dignity everyone deserves. Till we get a single payer system that covers everyone, we will just keep paying the crooks. Seems to me the reason other countries have decided not to get gouged is because they have universal coverage that they collectively pay for. They all have skin in the game.
We deserve affordable health care, and we need to fight the greed. This newsletter is a great example, and it should be passed onto all congressional members. I hope everyone does that; it would be a good way to thank Thom for his work. You could also call to mention Molnupiravir, Merck, and March-in Authority. Throw in the issue of price negotiation for Medicare, and that you are "sick and tired" of being robbed.
I know they’ve been around since the beginning of the republic but lobbies really need to go..
I guess it depends on what you think lobbyists are supposed to do i.e., what is their purpose? If the lobbyists you want to get rid of are those that act as agents for oligarchs and other wealthy sociopaths, it would take the most special of legislative activities to make that happen. Since these dark side lobbyists are paid to manage our exploitable public sector decision-makers (and their “work products”), it is unlikely that conventional legislation can preclude their employers from maintaining their status quo. These lobbyists are the bagmen that petition our elected and appointed officials with bribes and/or other coercions. Never forget the tale of Billy Tauzin-the poster child for Pharma’s powers of corporate personhood (and how much he loved his mother). In addition, today’s lobbyists to the oligarchs have an array of technological wonders to exploit and what they have achieved in perverting the causes of academia is nothing short of breathtaking (literally). Lobbyists conspire with other oligarchic subcontractors, like the 21st century propaganda outlets, religious leaders and our eminently degreed biostitutes of carbon , drugs, food, and war.
However, if we lived in an America where corporations are no longer citizens, and money no longer equals speech (and we have 100% public campaign financing), I think that the purpose of lobbyists should be to sell the value of their clients’ products/services to our elected decision-makers and not be able to bribe/coerce them. These neo corporate lobbyists should earn their money by showing our government and our citizens how they can help promote the general welfare of our citizens and/or help protect us from those who do things adverse to our rights and communities’ interests. If they’re not doing that, then what are we paying them for?