Hi Paula, I too believe we are looking at very very difficult economic times. I wonder if the dollar will be our currency 10 yrs from now. And I think the extreme polarization that has gone on for the past 10 yrs will only intensify, leading to more behaviors like those exhibited at this rally. I truly do not know what is in the entire health care bill; I have yet to meet anyone who has read the whole thing. I do know leaving everything to the insanely rich and powerful industries, which they term "capitalism", until it does not advantage them, is not working for anyone but the stockholders and CEOs. Witness the bill preventing our government from negotiating drug prices for Medicare, the largest drug using sector in the world. Big Pharma cries "foul",, the sector is just too large which gives Medicare too much leverage in negotiating..
( http://www.ncpssm.org/pdf/price_negotiation_part_d.pdf
"The law that established Medicare Part D explicitly prohibits the prescription drug program from negotiating lower drug costs for beneficiaries. The major pharmaceutical companies adamantly defend this rule, contending that the higher prices are necessary to support the industry’s investment in research and development. However, a comparison of the prices paid by Part D with those paid by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and other agencies shows that PartD could save billions of dollars through the use of additional negotiation techniques)
Last I recall, that's how capitalizm works. But in this instance, our representatives represented Big Pharma money, not their constituents.
The Industry will be given an increase in time of patents from 7 yrs to 12 1/2yrs. Thus generics which lower drug costs are kept off the market for even longer period than now. Oh, yes, Big Pharma is also allowed to patent genes and genetic material. How ludicrous.
In addition, it remains illegal to import drugs from other countries; this under the ruse of "protecting" our citizens. Please, we know the real reason; drugs are cheaper from other countries. Though the latest statistic I read stated there are 98,000 deaths/yr from medication errors/adverse events-more than all vehicle accidents, breast cancer and HIV (.http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/...tmarch2009.pdf)
It is the 4th largest cause of death in the US. So, inadvertantly, guess our govt is protecting us by not allowing more drugs to be imported--means less in the market to be used.
The stranglehold Big Pharma has over almost all scientific trials and medical education is unbelieveable. How could government running scientific research be any worse? Everything is about the bottom line. I trust little to nothing pharma publishes and know well their intention is only to make more money, not to help people in need.
Guess I fear and distrust Big Money more than I do Big Government. Besides, you probably do not know this, but I have such anger toward the pharmaceutical industry. i do not expect others to share the level of antipathy I feel toward them. I understand my representatives have allowed all these perks for big pharma. my government has not loooked out for my interests. Still, would rather deal with govt than big pharma any day.
Thus I stillthink the industry should be nationalized.