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The TV ads that surprise ME are all the ones for prescription drugs, many of which amount to little more than a 60-second disclaimer. Does anyone really think that these ads sell pills? They don't, but that's OK with Big Pharma, because this advertising is NOT about sales. Pharmaceutical advertising is about media leverage.
Suppose that someson publishes a study in a medical journal next week regarding a dangerous side-effect of Viagra. Searle (? - I think they manufacture Viagra, but you get my drift) can call up the major TV networks and threaten to pull their advertising if they carry the story. And as we all know, if it's not on the TV, it didn't really happen.
mstaggerlee,
I guess I dismissed it because I really didn't want to believe it.
WalMart is China's primary US retail outlet. Target is Indias.
Quark - Ravi has been saying that for the better part of the past 3 years - I've alwayys thought of him as the "Chicken Little" of Economists. :)
Food Fascist - From the FDL link that YOU posted (with a bit of math) -
For each DAY of our Status Quo "healthcare system", 6800 people will lose their health insurance, 2500 will declare bankruptcy due to medical expenses, and 60 people will die from preventable health issues. Obama knows this - thus waiting for his 2nd term (which may or may not happen) just isn't an option.
Has anyone else noticed how MANY TV ads are for Walmart and Target? 'Seems like they are the world's sellers (of the few left standing.)
Oh dear, this is depressing. Batra says we need to go through a depression to get fed up enough to demand change in our political system. (I have been saying this, too, but have been feeling like a contemporary "Cassandra.")
What does Ravi feel about our new minimum wage taking effect today?
Re: “Sick around the World” you can watch this online on PBS.org.
Thanks, Food Fascist! I will watch this and send it to others.
Thom,
In the documentary 'Sick around the world' The Taiwanese put a blue ribbon panel together to look at 10-12 best countries health care systems around the world. They likened their current model , which is something they are very happy with as closest to the America's Medicare system.
No gatekeeper, everyone has a smart card, no waiting, no one goes into bankruptcy. Costs are below 8% GDP, while America's is about 22% last I checked.
Say Richard- that makes sense except for why did not Barack then wait until he was a lame duck and did not need the monies. Is he keeping his popularity polls up just for now?
Waxman may go around his committee re Health Care Reform- so I heard on the news just now.
I called and cheered him on at 323 651-1040
Go Waxman!
1. President Obama intellectually desires a national healthcare system that works . . .
2. The Barack Obama, the politician, wants the money to be able to run for a second term and to avoid the scorched earth death throes of the health insurance industry being directed directly at him. Given his addiction to the corporate snide . . .
I believe that there is significant reason that the second guy is running the show.
THX Quark - i appreciate Harry might be in a bad bind, but - we have still got to play our role here and I always think to myself, well.....maybe Harry is secretly shaking under his sheets saying- American People, step up!
PS- someone turned me on to this recently. It might be a good thing to circulate for those not up to speed on the health care system reform issue. Show documents what Britain, Germany, Switzerland, Japan and Taiwan have done-
"Sick around the World" you can watch this online on PBS.org.
Richard,
I agree. But are you suggesting that Obama does not want "government option" to succeed?
But, I suspect Ron Wyden does not want it to succeed. The healthcare industry are his biggest donors.
Take care. I'm off.
@ LGrace,
I believe that we have less of a conservative DEM issue and more of a corporatist DEM issue (which includes President Obama).
High fructose corn syrup has a good friend in Senator Charles Ernest "Chuck" Grassley (R-ND). Senator Grassley will never allow a tax on fast food or sweetened drinks to address the healthcare . . . Heck, Senator Grassley has never shown any ability to make sense at all on healthcare . . .
One of our Oregon Senators, Ron Wyden, is a health care obstructionist.
I invite Obama to come here and invite Wyden to a public speech on health care.
Thousands of Oregonians will show up. Tens of thousands, likely, And all the media.
Then Obama can ask Wyden, in front of us all, if he has Wyden's vote.
Obama should use this Senate vacation to do that in all the Blue Dog states.
Senator Max Sieben Baucus (D-Health Insurance Industry) and Senator Mary L. Landrieu (D-Walmart) continue to express issues with single-payer.
Boy, I got this Mr. McAngry thingy going on . . .
Sympathy for Reid’s position is best framed by Rita Mae Brown’s definition of insanity . . . Reid needs to do his job OR let someone capable takeover.
While I do agree that Israel need to squelch the 'Settlement’ movement (as it is not helping), RASTA needs to admit that every time those who call themselves Palestinians are granted unfettered travel access on Israel’s dirt, they strap explosive devises to their children and women . . .
I have been thinking about this Henry Gates fiasco a lot, specifically the conservative reaction to it. Can someone please explain to me why it is that conservatives, who claim to be protecting the rights of the individual from the state, even in the most EXTREME cases, defend fervently the right of agents of the state to exercise sovereignty over the individual? Unless of course it is in an economic context in which case it is absolutely unthinkable for the state to interfere in any way with the actions of the individual, natural person or otherwise.
What is going on is the health insurance industry is buying the best possible system for themselves available and Americans will have another generation of wealth pulled from them before we institute public financed campaigns for national offices.
Ah, yes - our daily lunatic fringe post from Rasta.
“The extraordinary situation is that a Palestinian who had his land expropriated to build the settlement of Har Homa [on the outskirts of East Jerusalem] cannot lease land there, whereas a Jew from Paris or London who is not even an Israeli citizen can.”
What part of "JEWISH homeland" do you not understand?
The human appendix does more for healthcare than Harry Reid ever will . . .