602 Comments

The same Republicans that say that limits on the copay for insulin would give the government too much say in healthcare, but have no problem dictating a pregnant woman’s allowable healthcare.

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Exactly. Thank you, Mary for your comment. Heather, thank you for so clearly describing the current issue around trying to manage the skyrocketing price of insulin. I had no idea. It is for this type of information and your outstanding analysis that I subscribe.

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I wish it included a cap on the test strips & needles too. My son is a Type 1 diabetic & his health care expenses takes a huge bite out of his income.

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The increased price of insulin is the result of pure unmitigated GREED!!!!

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It is not "just" insulin, I have to take several medications that cost about $1500/mo, luckily have decent insurance coverage, but still have $500 out of pocket every month. Healthcare and health insurance in the US is a disgrace and Medicare, Medicaid and VA in many cases work against (or even prohibit) good care and add restrictions that make absolutely no sense.

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I take several meds through Kaiser Medicare Advantage. This year, most have had $0 or $10 copays though I'm now also taking a monthly asthma medicine that has a $47 copay. Just took a look at the receipt that comes with the mailed prescription bcz they include the actual cost which I assume they assess to Medicare: $517.40.

I could manage without it if I was unable to pay the full cost but anyone with far more severe asthma or COPD and lacking prescription coverage could be in trouble especially if they also had to have Albuterol (far cheaper fortunately) as a rescue inhaler.

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The face masks on my C-Pap machine cost $12.00 on Amazon. The Medicare reimbursement to the medical supply company is $119.00. I don't know why Republicans are opposed to universal Medicare. Look how it feathers their nests!

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I'm fortunate- I worked for a NH County nursing home as an RN for 35 years and was able to get Social Security Disability coverage on the first try when I could no longer perform my duties, even though I wasn't 65 yet. (most folks have to try 3 times before getting that coverage.) As a political subdivision of NH, we have a medicare advantage type coverage PPO through the county that includes prescription coverage in addition to my Medicare. Between my Social Security and my state Pension, I manage quite nicely. My co-pay for my insulin is only $80/per 3 month refill; other script costs vary but many are $10.

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You are very fortunate, yet.

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I too have Kaiser Senior Advantage.

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Bravo Mary!

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Exactly! The GOP is the party of rank hypocrisy.

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Well, for some them Viagra pills are going to end up being mighty expensive. For about 18 yrs.😂

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Like when he insurance company covers viagra but not mammograms

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Aren't mammograms no-cost (meaning no copay) under Medicare? They are for me with Kaiser Medicare Advantage. I'd have to dig out my receipt from last year's annual mammogram to see what reimbursement amount they charge to Medicare.

Mammograms and other preventative care tests (bone scan has no copay either, for me). It seems a no-brainer to have no copay tests of this sort rather than waiting until someone develops breast cancer or breaks an osteoporotic bone.

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Performing the mammogram is covered as preventative care (under the ACA - or what's left of it), however, the services of the radiologist who reads the mammogram are not. I routinely receive $300 bills for the read of my mammogram, even though the test itself is "covered" by my insurance, the radiologist is inevitably "out of network".

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Hmmm.... There is no cost for any part of my mammograms. Clearly, it depends on your network. Kaiser has been great for me. Had a lumpectomy in 2009, copay was a bit over $200. A recent CT scan was $300. I haven't looked to see what Kaiser pays to Medicare for those procedures but I've no doubt they pay far more than I did.

When I transitioned to Kaiser as a private patient, it took two tries because I had had treatment for sciatica but I was encouraged to reapply 12 months after the treatment had occurred and was accepted. Too bad Kaiser Permanente isn't available throughout the U.S. - I'm in California, I know it's available in Northern VA, not sure about elsewhere.

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Kaiser has been great for "whole package" coverage. And they were a leading company in embracing electronic medical records that were accessible by any provider within Kaiser (talk about improving provider-to-provider communication!) Their hamstring is that to get those benefits, you have to go to a Kaiser facility. If a Kaiser patient is on vacation, they will cover emergency services if the nearest facility is more than x miles away (I think it's around 300 miles), but it is kind of a nightmare for the treating hospital to sort it out and determine if they have to transfer a patient in order to have their care covered.

Still, I would love to have Kaiser, but we live in a rural area and the nearest Kaiser office/facility is over 150 miles away, which makes accessibility somewhat problematic.

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That’s because you and I have Kaiser. Our co-pays are either nothing at all or $5-$10. My husband and I have had this coverage going on 47 years.

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No, I bet they’ll let that particular drug become over-the-counter!

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Marlene, Sugar, you are missing the joke hun.Now think what that drug is for. If the man taking it is a Republican, maybe already has a houseful of kids but they are leaving the nest. He has a need for Viagra. Wife or worse, girlfriend gets PG in late 40’s. Ott oh ! You are responsible for kids until they reach 18 yrs old. Kids are not cheap to raise .It can cause heart attacks so don’t think it will be over the counter. There is Generic tho.

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Ain’t no joke. Suga’ Honeybun! Men have been doing this for years…nothing new here. Women will resort to having hysterectomies or getting their hands on The Pill, even in the states that want them to be handmaidens. Back door underground abortions will exist and already do. Doctors and nurses risk their reputations and lives providing that service and that’s in the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!

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And it’s not just Democrat women that make the choice.Where I live, before it was Legal, for a price, there was a Dr here that owned a big boat. He would take women out in the ocean past the 10 mile limit( no land laws applied ) and do abortions. Now who do you guess could afford that ? From what I was told the cost was not in proportion to a working man’s wages in the late ‘60’s’. This is not about Pro /Anti- abortion. It’s about Votes ! Those high earners will always be able to buy their way out of trouble.Roe-V-Wade was about and for the rest of us. That’s why it passed to begin with.

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Before Roe v Wade— and legal birth control meds— many OB-Gyn docs (including my dad) routinely did D&Cs for their patients who wanted pregnancies terminated. The twisted American system has always been rigged against the have-nots.

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The evangelicals are now seriously voicing the idea that contraception is the "same" as abortion and are pushing for state laws against contraception as well. (IMHO, my guess is that if contraception is forbidden by state law, can involuntary insemination be far behind?)

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Maybe those evangelicals should be wearing chastity belts and the like to "tie things up. Nobody gets pregnant and nobody gets to do the nasty because well, they'd be under lock and key and I am speaking about the men!

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Serves ‘em right🤣😂

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Ah, but only women get PG, so it's OK. They like females barefoot and PG. I am nearly finished with The Dawn of Everything and one of their points is the subordination of women in Western/European history in particular.

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Recently I've seen several articles in the medical literature (e.g., JAMA) with the phrase "pregnant people" in the title. I looked up (google of course) to see whether anyone other than a woman could be pregnant, and the answer wasn't all that clear to me. Aside from its intrinsic interest, this bears on Sen. Blackburn's question to Ketanji Brown Jackson to define 'woman'. Brown's answer was "I'm not a biologist". Nowadays even a biologist might not be able to give a clear answer.

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I thought that was the perfect answer to a trap question.

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In the past few years I have seen couples announcing that "they" are having a baby. Perhaps the literature is attempting to recognize a change in view so that it is clear that it takes both a sperm and an egg to create a pregnancy. Just speculation.

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Nice try, but even when a couple says "they" are having a baby, it's only "she" who is pregnant. In the medical literature it has to do with some people who have changed their gender identity. I haven't followed this in detail, but the titles of the articles caught my eye.

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As I said, simply speculation.

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So the answer for white women is to do some things radically. Either choose not to have children or only have girls.

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That's not what I am saying or the book is saying. What they do say is that when women had power, their lot was better and as in the example of Minoan Crete, not centered on warfare.

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Or refuse to have sex with men.

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Have been thinking of reading that. Did you find it worthwhile?

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It has caused me to rethink several things. It has a large emphasis on non European history and seeks to put to rest the idea of the agricultural revolution. There is lots of info on the pre-European Americas.

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I clearly need to read it! Thanks.

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Great! I have very little knowledge in those areas! Will be very interested! Thanks!

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I learned a lot and I like a book that makes me rethink. I have about five pages to go now in the conclusion. Perhaps I will see if they have any hope for us.

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Whether they do or not, we'd better!😊👍

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Yes! Of course it is speculative about human prehistory, but why not? The authors have some good insights. It gives pause to the thinking that males, because of superior muscle strength, must have been the movers and shakers of society. (My brief rephrasing)

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Yes, but based on more recent archeological finds. It was also a nice review of what theories have existed in the past. I liked the emphasis on non-European societies. I am not quite finished and then more rethinking on my part. I did like that they gave women much more credit than they usually are given.

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Thanks! That makes me more likely to read it.😊

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Spot on, Mary!

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^^^^ You win the internet for today!

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That was my first thought on reading that as well.

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😡

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you have to wonder what the calculation is. there must be many among the trumpers, the Rep. base, who suffer from diabetes. i would guess at a higher rate than among dems. is the calculation that those republicans won't vote in the primaries? what about the general election, then? is the calculation that people would rather die than vote for a dem? meanwhile, it would be easy to fool people into thinking that if you lower the cost at the register, it will be raised by higher insurance premiums.

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You make an interesting point when with a twist the good people of Nevada elected a Republican candidate that had been dead for a month. The Democrat in the race was defeated soundly. She, yes she, was of the wrong gender, wrong party affiliation, and was characterized as a retired educator. Her opponent was in prostitution and dead dead dead, but he was a conservative Republican. True story.

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Maybe Tucker Carlson told them that it is fine and the when 45 is reinstated he will provide "free" insulin to all those who send him money. But wait......there's more.....donate twice and you will get a giant orange baby balloon at no cost to you.

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Sounds like a My Pillow ad and I am certain that’s what you meant! 😁

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I’m sitting here trying to find my words. But there aren’t any to describe the despicable behavior of the Republicans that voted against this, and the pharmaceutical companies that are profiting. I have seen diabetic children in ketoacidotic comas, hanging on to life because they didn’t get their insulin. I hope we can get the word out to all of the diabetics in their districts that their representatives are doing whatever they can to keep the price of insulin so high that only the rich can afford it.

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I agree with you 100%, Karen! There are no words to describe their loathsome, and, quite frankly, vile behavior with respect to human life. They disgust me with their smug theories regarding what the government should or shouldn't be controlling! When it comes to adult's and children's lives they should support the well-being of their constituents. What kind of pro-lifers are they? The despicable kind, I presume, who want to control women's bodies and let diabetic children die!

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"What kind of pro-lifers are they?" That right there, Rowshan -- along with Heather's simple math, "A vial of insulin that cost $21 in 1999 in the U.S. cost $332 in 2019" -- is something the Democrats need to be calling out as we head to the midterms.

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Only a few Dems call out republicans, instead they say, let’s tell of our successes. They do and Joe’s poll numbers tank even more. Propaganda works, Dems. Rupert’s purchase of the WSJ seems to give him cover for the most egregious lying slander. Wake up and call the greedy bastards out, or die

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Thank you for your insightful comment, Jeri. Propaganda definitely does work. I hope the Democratic Party recognizes that they will need to implement powerfully emotional negative communication campaigns against Republican candidates if they want to come out ahead in the midterm elections. Facts and rationality alone are not enough to motivate the large turnout they (and the majority of Americans) need to have a chance of winning, particularly with all the new vote suppression policies in place.

Effective propaganda goes for the gut, and not just the brain.

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Voting records matter. Every Democrat running against an incumbent Republican should be loud and clear about their voting record. Every incumbent Democrat running should emphasize exactly what the Republicans have voted against. This insulin issue could be election gold if used with a loud voice.

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I fear that the Dems won’t do that. The people at The Lincoln Project have been drilling proper messaging comebacks to the Dems for the last 7 years! They should know how the game by the R’s is played as they were all advisors or campaign managers to the R’s. They became fully disgusted with the Party and left. You probably know this already but it’s really up to us citizens to demand that our reps to play hardball.

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I’m not sure Americans use their brains when voting, at least not those in the base.

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Sorry...WSJ?

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Wall Street Journal

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Yep. R Murdock’s baby.

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Lynell(VA by way og MD&DC), another view would be that they aren’t pro-life. They use the term because it markets well. They’re actually racist fundamentalists: “You poor people had fun; now you need to pay the price. And the more of you there are, the higher unemployment rates will be, so labor costs can fall. We’re wealthy which shows that God approves of us and what we do, so we can afford abortions.”

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R’s are really good at marketing and messaging. Dems, not so much…unfortunately.

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Yes, however, the R’s don’t govern because they don’t believe the government should work for the common good.

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Exactly right! What a dismal joke, electing to govt people who are committed to destroying it. They are no different than Putin.

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There is a great, short book on what you wrote: Don’t Think of An Elephant, by George Lakoff.

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Thanks…will check that out!

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In 1999 dollars, the cost of a vial of insulin costs the equivalent of over $564.

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Unbelievable. 😔😡

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No it’s believable, it’s called greed, look at what they did with EpiPen pricing, it’s even worse than insulin and also life saving; we can thank the senator from WV’s daughter for that.

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Kathleen. A 1999 dollar today is $1.70. That would put a vial of insulin today at $36.26 per BLS inflation calculator.

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Exactly the number that the Dems are capping the cost--$35

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Thanks, Kathleen!

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Before we get too excited, let's get the numbers straight. The website

https://www.goodrx.com/healthcare-access/research/how-much-does-insulin-cost-compare-brands

gives costs of many different types of insulin. It seems that some versions are very expensive, as people here are saying, others less so. The subject is rather complicated as that website gives costs as "per unit of insulin", and, in addition, for vials, pens, packages of vials, etc. The Republicans have made many vile (not "vial") votes, but we should purvey accurate news. Maybe someone who is knowledgeable about this (which I am not) can clarify and give an "average" number that makes sense.

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Didn’t someone just say Dems need to propagandize better? So you are asking us to be truthful too! Hymmmmm.

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Geeeezzuusss! 🤬🤬🤬

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Agreed, Lynell.

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""A vial of insulin that cost $21 in 1999 in the U.S. cost $332 in 2019" -- is something the Democrats need to be calling out as we head to the midterms." That was my first thought. The campaign ads would write themselves. Why don't the Democrats go hard against those that voted against regulating the cost of insulin?

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Oh, I'm sure that will happen- actually it already is, as state election campaigns start up. Also, pay attention to what is happening at state level, where quite a few states already have set limits or have bills in the hopper. The real popularity contest may not be in Congress, though we seem to think that's the case. It's happening in local politics, which this year includes (la, la) the Congressional midterms. Give attention, give time, give money to the local and state and congressional candidates who reflect your values. God knows that's what the Republicans are doing, and that's the real problem.

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"What kind of pro-lifers are they?"

... the younger and fresher the better. Butts in the air, baybee!!

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What does it cost in 2022?

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A vial of insulin costs $2-$6 to make. It can cost $50-$1,000 per month to buy. Most copays are $30-$50 per month, but patients often have to meet annual deductibles before that kicks in. Uninsured patients are surely unable to afford it at all. It looks like most diabetics use two vials a month. Congress’s plan caps the copay at $35 per month.

The average OECD cost is $8.81 vs $98.70 in the US

Sources: https://www.verywellhealth.com/insulin-prices-how-much-does-insulin-cost-and-why-5081872 and https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/cost-of-insulin-by-country

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I'm glad this article includes all the other stuff that insulin dependent diabetics need: test strips, Lance's, etc. My son says his test strips run about $100.00 a month. This is with insurance! And our representative voted against this.....

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How infuriating!

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From reading all the info innthe link above, it's clear that insulin costs are very high for some not able to afford it but others have different insurances where it is less costly, just the copay. But it depends and it's complicated. And I don't understand the reasons that President Biden canceled a provision to reduce insulin costs.

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Thank you KR!

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As my former congressman, Barney Frank,said, these are the people who believe that life begins at conception and ends at birth.

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Love Barney's quote! So true.

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Wow, I had forgotten that quote! Thanks for reminding us!

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Ima saving this quote.

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They are Pro-Birthers. It’s abundantly clear that they could care less about quality of life.

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Like many of us, I have been trying to figure out what Texas' game plan is by passing their draconian anti-abortion bill. And I may be the last one in the country to figure this out, but it occurred to me a little while ago that they may be worried about the decrease in population of mostly white men:

"Despite the greatest growth in the 65 years plus age group overall, NH Whites experienced a decline in the share of population among this age group (from 68 percent to 63 percent). In fact, NH Whites saw declines while Hispanics experienced increases in their share of the state population across all age groups..."

Granted, I cherry-picked this quote, don't know what "NH" means, nor have I read the entire piece. I did opine -- which for me is a novel undertaking as I much prefer to listen to my gut! -- that they couldn't figure out how to make a law that would leave out all other non-white women and only keep white women barefoot and pregnant. https://demographics.texas.gov/Resources/publications/2019/20191205_PopEstimatesBrief.pdf

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❤️❤️ Good morning, Lynell! You hit the nail on the head. You see, the R’s saw the Census, saw white women getting abortions, saw many mixed marriages increasing and they thought “Well we can’t have this continue, they’ll wipe us out!”. So they devise crippling plans to make certain their type of Aryan race prosper. This is really what has to be called out by the Dems. They will fail us all if they don’t.

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The Racism Party.

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Sounds right to me, MaryPat!

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Thanks, Marlene. We may be on to something here, eh? (Not Canadian but I like "eh" a lot!

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I know you’ve heard this joke then. “How do you spell Canada?” Ceh neh deh. That’s how.

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There are so many things to call out already.

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Thanks, Marlene. It's all so frightening.

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I assume NH is non Hispanic. The problem with their plan is that white women of means will still find a way to get an abortion so the law will increase the non white demographics. It's also a matter of poor vs wealthy. Those with money will be able to travel to get an abortion.

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Your theory is exactly correct as I see it. You are the first to actually call it out that I have read. Every single thing they do is to preserve the step on the ladder of caste that white men represent. And it has become less feet stomping on the multitude below them. Hence, all their draconian measures to preserve “less white men still equals the most power”.

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This is not a new observation. It's been around a long time (talking in general here-at least decades). It's just that people just getting interested in following the nuances of politics are just becoming aware of it. The important thing is that more people ARE getting it, and recognizing how it fits in with all the other bigotries coming out into the open. And calling it out when it happens, personal or political level.

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Yes, Annie, you’re right! Calling it out and not taking to hiding in a corner or being silent is what has to be conveyed to the Dems who are our reps.

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Thanks, Annie.

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Thanks, Christine!

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The joke on them (the anti-abortion crowd which wants to increase the white population) is that the anti-abortion laws have the potential to increase the non-white population as well.

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That is definitely the joke. A nice backfire in the making.

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Agree, Judith, which is why I don't feel solid about my theory, but it's the only thing I could come up with when I was trying to figure out "what's in it for them."

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nh = non-Hispanic

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NH Whites: Non-Hispanic whites

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“Pro birth.” Excellent!

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QOP are not problem solvers. Republicans are problem extenders.So the mess gets mess e er….and the hot gets hotter.

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Love the fetus, hate the child….

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That’s one way to put it…yes.

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They really aren't "pro-life," they're actually just anti-abortion.

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Exactly! They're pro-control-women's-bodies by hook or by crook!

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But they hang out "Pro Life" signs, so as to convince others that they are Pro Life. At least that's my take.

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They are pro-life until the moment of birth.

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Fetuses have more importance to these despicables than children outside the womb. If they had critical thinking skills (or were not owned by the corporatocracy) they might actually make decisions that made sense across the board. But the corporate elite with money and power pull the strings of their marionettes into the strangest of positions.

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If only the media communicated this, over and over, as it should.

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I completely agree with you, but the media are spending their time on Will Smith and Chris Rock these days.

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I had no idea who Will Smith and Chris Rock were before the Oscar fracas and, unlike the media, I don’t give a tinker’s damn about them when America and the world are facing serious problems and too many people are suffering. Will and Chris—get a life.

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LIke your comment.

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Reading stories about people, including kids, splitting insulin doses because they're too expensive enrages me.

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Too make matters worse, researchers who discovered insulin recognized its critical necessity and GAVE it to the government free.

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Yes, Canadians in Toronto. Developed originally to save the lives of children.

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They did, so how do the drug companies manage to keep the price so high? Price collusion?

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Ya think? Demand is high, demand is consistent. In a free market with competition and many suppliers should equal increased production, and prices fall. Prices are high because there are not enough suppliers, and/or the few monopolies are colluding/price fixing.

Why is it that when big insurance and big pharma collude it’s capitalism? And when Govt seeks to regulate to prevent monopolies it’s Socialism?

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I tried to 'heart' this. didn't work. Let's just cut to the chase here.

The US Healthcare system is a giant ass money laundering machine. It is deliberately fragmented to increase profit margins at each step along the care giving path.

It could best be called the 'illness profit system'.

Congress is 'rented' by big pharma and insurance companies. They also lack any moral courage and call anything that helps the other guy 'socialism'. My guess is that they also could not pass a freshman level course in political economy or define 'socialism'.

I think I need more coffee now.

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Yes, you do. I do, too. But I got a favor to ask, Charlie. Please be careful when you use the word "they" as an encompassing plural and be specific about who you are talking to. Because not all members of Congress are owned, and not every pharmaceutical company rips off the public. You are right that overall our health system is set up backwards. But not everybody in it operates that way.

I live in a state which, while not "universal" or "single payer", has taken large steps in that direction. And legislators and others are working to resurrect the universal health care plan that one of our former governors scuttled a few years ago. Other states are moving in that direction as well, some further along than others.

BTW, that particular governor had to promise not to run for reelection before he was sworn in for his second term because so many people were pissed at him. He lives in another state now, and we're good with that. Especially when we learned that he was involved with people pulling a Ponzi on the state and investors in a state-supported project. He kind of slid out of that, but it is wise of him to not publicize when he was in state giving his deposition.)

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Tried to ❤️

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I couldn’t ❤️ what you just said. That is the real reason these despicables are in bed with Big Pharma. Hell, I wouldn’t doubt if some in Congress aren’t “drugged out”.

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Bingo, Ted. In a nutshell. That's a message that needs to get out, too.

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May I quote you on that (collusion) Ted?!

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They tweak the formulation a bit, claim a new patent, and then other companies cannot make it generically for several years. They essentially have a monopoly on a product and can charge however much they want.

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Basic insulin can't be tweaked, though methods of delivery can. But what you say about tweaking is very true- which is why one of the meds I take is a former prescription med that costs pennies OTC. Its replacement costs tens of dollars, and Dr says is not as good as the original med. Ironically I am taking for it for a different purpose than it was originally developed for (though related), and cost is less than copay.

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Thank you for the explanation. :(

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Possibly. Also occurs to me someone has to actually manufacture it.

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Didn’t you know Karen that this country is really only for the rich, filthy rich, obscenely rich, and that the rest of us are only here to serve them. Don’t get me wrong, I have family members, as many do, that are very wealthy, but they all got it honestly and none of them have forgotten where they came from. I don’t understand why someone making 100 million a year wouldn’t want to pay taxes to support the country that made that possible.

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Um... who is this "Karen" you are addressing? Other than that off-putting misuse of a name, I agree pretty much with your post.

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Oh! Economic Darwinism from those who claim not to believe in evolution? Really? Well! I’ll be!

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How can they get this out to the voting public? They're not going to hear it on fox and that's where the conservatives get their information. I hate to say it, but I don't know many people that watch network news. Anyway, it might be a blip on the news, they're too busy talking about Will Smith. The republicans as a whole, only begin to care about something like the price of a drug when it affects them. When, if, that bill makes it to the senate, what will Manchin do. His daughter is big in the industry. I'm fortunate and have no one in my immediate family that is diabetic. I have a cousin in law that is and they are hard core republican-trump supporters. How will she feel about this?

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Yes, DESPICABLE. We do have the mechanism already to get the word out to everyone. The ANA, AMA, NNU, AHA and all the rest of our health associations should be working together on this effort to educate patients of the real cause of these murderous prescription costs, and to support candidates who will end this robbery. I have been invited to a state meeting next month with other former (old) health association directors and will bring this up. Thanks for the nudge, KarenRN.

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You can lead a horse to water but you can't make 'em drink!

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Thanks, MaryPat. You're a real force!

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I need to emphasize though, that I, and my colleagues, are an OLD force. Hopefully not too old to kick up a bit of a fuss.

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YES YES YES!! You go, girl! 💪🏽💪🏽

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Fear not, Mark Mulvaney will sort out the truth for all of us on CBS!

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So disgusting that they’ve hired this monster! I hope their advertisers rip their dollars away from them. I also pray their anchors leave.

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Here's what Stephan Colbert has to say about CBS hiring Muck Mulvaney (near the end of the video):

https://youtu.be/PK-EuaH4J4s

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Well, there you go, John! I think his name is Mick, though.

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Whatever, he is the truth, at least for the geniuses at CBS. As is often said, "You can't make this stuff up!"

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This may turn out to be a good thing, since it's been reported that most ex-Trumpers end up on Faux News. Now we'll have direct access!

https://nypost.com/2022/03/31/cbs-news-staffers-embarrassed-over-mick-mulvaney-gig/

and

https://wapo.st/3wZUqF8

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(Sweden)

I too got speechless when I read this yesterday. This was the most depressing letter so far from HCR. Really! this is also the USA, and it has gone so far.

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One of the fundamental misunderstandings of the Healthcare discussion is that Healthcare is NOT a product. It is not fungible.

You cannot go and buy a new son or wife like shopping for a new Ford or Chevy.

Thus, the entire concept of market-product-pricing is not applicable.

Americans paid 8% of GDP for Healthcare from WW2 until 1988 thanks to Reagan's move to create private insurance. That was the same as every other modern nation.

Surprise. Every other modern nation still spends about 10% of GDP while the US we pay 20%. That is, 10% of the entire US GDP, or $2.5 Trillion is wasted in our incredibly inefficient private insurance approach. We also get significantly lower health outcomes, 20th in life expectancy, infant and maternal mortality.

We pay Twice as much for Half the Healthcare outcomes.

A national Healthcare plan pays for itself. AFTER it is in place, and America reduces Healthcare to even 12% of GDP...after...$2.5 Trillion a year of cash is freed for the economy.

Universal Healthcare in principle should also be conservative ideal.

A. Family Friendly by freeing up working parents from that 2nd or 3rd job worked to provide benefits.

B. Reduces economic stress on families and that will lead to lower divorces and abortions driven by economic stress

C. Free up the Talent labor pool. Lets you be free to move to another part of the US seeking a better job without Healthcare worry

D. Lets Entrepreneurs and small businesses hire that great talent that would like the excitement and challenges of new things, but are trapped at BigCorp just to provide Healthcare. Many startup do not.

E. Pays for itself. A dramatically more efficient system

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=833091720433244&id=100011972701515&sfnsn=mo

I posted this about 3 years ago... fyi

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The insurance companies have so much power and money most people have no idea just how much.

Back when we were trying to get Cigna to pay disability for my husband, I had a conversation with a lawyer about a law that was originally made to protect small businesses and their employees but the insurance companies found a loophole to help them not pay.

The lawyer told me that for five years a group of lawyers, people from the insurance industry and lawmakers would meet to discuss this loophole and how to fix it finally gave up.

He told me that if every disabled person in this country brought a class action suit, the case would be dead in less than a year because of the money the insurance companies have.

We won our case against Cigna, on our own. And the major reason we won?

California. Yep, they sued Cigna and other companies about the way they process claims and won.

Once we reminded Cigna that our policy was issued in CA and that they had to follow the rules in regards to that lawsuit, things changed and all the lies (yes they lie) and the roadblocks they tried to use suddenly stopped and we were good to go.

Thanks California.

My point, insurance companies care about one thing, profits and until we can get that kind of money out of politics, we can't have nice things.

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Grateful I live in CA.! I worked in the insurance industry for over 18 years but not on the healthcare side. Believe me, insurance companies have and have always had a monopoly on prices for every product they insure. They are the true monsters.

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Im curious as to the year this settled.

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DougAz. Great post supporting unviersal health care and all the reasons why a rational country would want it (like most European countries and Canada).

But, here in America, rational outcomes don't matter. Who gets rich does.

And, in America, the people that get rich off off health care are Republicans. They will keep it that way even more now that Hedge Funds are buying all of the hospitals.

Soon, you will have to write a million dollar check just to get a seat at the ER.

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People like Florida senator “tax the poor and working class” Rick Scott. He was an ethically challenged health care executive who apparently gouged Medicare.

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"Ethically challenged" is too kind. He pled the 5th 75 times after being ousted as CEO of Columbia/HCA when the hospital company was fined $1.7 billion for Medicare fraud. Private insurers, reasoning that if the company defrauded the government, it surely defrauded them, too, quietly settled their claims against the company.

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And while we're on the subject of drug companies, the Columbia/HCA settlement was a record at the time for health care fraud. It has since been surpassed in cases related to the improper promotion of certain drugs, Johnson & Johnson agreed to a a $2.2 billion settlement in 2013, Pfizer settled for $2.3 billion in 2009, and GlaxoSmithKline settled for $3 billion in 2012.

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Can’t ❤️ but YES! Let’s talk about the Sacklers. They are responsible for opioid deaths in our country. They too, were hit with billions in lawsuits.

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If you want more detail on the Columbia/HCA fraud scheme, find it here:

https://www.justice.gov/archive/opa/pr/2003/June/03_civ_386.htm

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Check out the YouTube video of Rick Scott’s deposition in the HCA fraud case…watch his face (always looking away) and his body language (writhing in his seat)

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He is a true POS! (Piece of 💩)

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The New Yorker covered this as well

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Yes. Thanks for supplying facts. Criminality begat by amorality

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The GOP mantra is “wealth matters”…. Not life, not health, not education, not environment, not safety. Nothing matters but wealth and the insurance companies are only too happy to limit coverage while raising premiums in order to deliver that wealth to its CEOs and investors, who then line GOP coffers. It’s a closed financial loop.

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Thank you Mike. Conservatives argue the non-truth that rationing will occur under a National Healthcare system. When in fact, Insurance companies sole value add (value subtraction actually) is only to deny or ration!!!!

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Hedge funds are buying hospitals? Shouldn't there be a law against that?!

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One would think so in a morally people-first democracy.

Unfortunately, ours was founded on the Principle of Inalienable Rights, but institutionalized with Property Rights. Which seem to prevail.

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A People-First Democracy...has a nice ring to it, Doug; could be used as a slogan, don't you think?

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God forbid that we do anything that is efficient, cost-effective and sensible. Republicans signed on to the destruction of the administrative state, openly and aggressively. And Rupert makes it sound like utopia. Been waiting for 40 years for sanity to rear it’s head. It did, but was quickly beaten down. Our citizenry is lied to and they love it. Only chump had the unmitigated gall to plan for the ignorant, propaganda-saturated minority to overwhelm a sane majority and rule from on high - or bring it all crashing down.

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What makes me crazy is the Repubs think all of America is a Democrat problem and all the things Gov’t does they don’t need cuz see that makes you a ‘ Socialist ‘.Did they mail their Stimulus $ back to the Gov’t when President Biden got in Office ?Remember TFG put his name on one of the 2 we got from him.He probably thought if Ppl address’s were wrong he could keep them 😂

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DougAz, May I have permission to post this on FB?

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You may indeed.

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April 2, 2022
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Most certainly Liz.

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Profit-taking on the backs of the sick; poor; aged; mostly women care-givers is despicable. We have 'ordered [people] to care' (qv Susan Reverby) in a system that exploits those very caregivers and burns them out to crispy critters with dead eyes. Caring is not the same as making widgets.

The labors of caring are complex.

And the healing is ensconced in the 'between' of the person as patient and the person(s) who are caring for the patient.

We have a sick illness care system. It cannot be considered 'health care' as we do not really do preventive health care. It will not be a healthy system until profit-taking is removed.

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It is sad that poor Conservatives get convinced by their Pundits, and Politicians and seem willing to suffer poor and totally avoidable bad health care, when its so easy to make a better system. I agree with you kim

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For farmers (agriculture has fallen to 5% of the workforce, I think), it is near impossible to buy health insurance (like any family business). The ACA, where I get mine, gave one and the only new option. Every farm family I know, one spouse works an “insurance job” i.e. state employment, post office, etc. to get family coverage. If you get older, and well-off enough to buy it without supplemental help, it takes out 10% or 15% of income.

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ACA was the only insurance my wife could get when I was consulting. I wish Republicans would listen to farmers and others who need an otherwise unnecessary 2nd or 3rd job just pay for useless Health Insurance.

I think it will change in the future.

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💯

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Thank You DougAz. This is an excellent summary of our ludicrous "sick" system. May I copy and share?

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Yes indeed. Anyone may.

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The problem is clearly stated: pay went up 5.6% and inflation went up 7.9%. I don't know about anyone else but the prices I see in the local supermarket are really amazing - particularly since my pay didn't go up 5.6%. I'm smart enough to understand how this happens, but let me assure everyone that when I was in the store yesterday, I was the only one there who did.

And for all those people who didn't understand civics when they didn't sleep through it, well... that's why November is "problematic."

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TC. Well, when Republicans get the kitchen, then, the country can "eat their cake".

Let's see how it all works out for them. But, you know, for a while I thought it would be good if the entire country became poor again on the backs of disastrous Republican Party policy.

But, now? I honestly think Fox News will convince formerly middle class white folks that slip into the poverty category that the fault is that of the Democrats EVEN if the there is a Republican President, and Congress. Because they have done so here, even though about half of the last 40 years was Republican controlled.

That's how dumb Americans are now.

Fox could feed Republicans poison coolaid and they could watch each die in front of their eyes and STILL think that the coolaid was poisoned by Democrats if Tucker Carlson said it was.

So, now, I have a more pessimisstic view of the future here. I do honestly think America will look more like Putin's Russia in the not too distant future.

Everyone poor and everyone cheering for Putin's war because they have been convinced of a bunch of lies.

Only imagine how much damage we will do when we declare war on Europe because Hunter Biden hid poison in, say France?

It is that nutty here now TC. No lie.

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Dumber, yes. But I think a big problem is the emotional response to what ppl hear on Faux News, from tfg, etc. Emotions produce beliefs and votes that may be in reality against that person’s self interest.

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This isn’t like you. Get on that big tractor hook onto a molboard plow and smell the fresh furrow as the plow share cuts and the moldboard rolls it neatly upside down. Smell that rich soil. Get big again. The fight is just beginning.

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That's pretty nutty, but the problem is, it's terribly accurate.

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I remember how we sacrificed as a nation during WW II, while family members were fighting abroad. An A sticker provided a gallon of gas weekly. Food rationing, especially of butter, meat, and other essentials. There were no new cars or tires. I remember carrying a puncture repair kite for my bike. We collected paper, aluminum, and other essentials and brought them to school for recycling. As kids, we went with our mom to pack POW (prisoner of war) packages for American military.

Now with the ‘inconveniences’ of the Covid pandemic, supply and shipping problems, and, most recently, the prolonged impact of Putin’s deadly invasion of Ukraine, many Americans are loudly objecting to temporary intrusions being imposed on them.

Why do I feel that many Americans today would turn around President Kennedy’s famous phrase to now read:

“DON’T ASK WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR COUNTRY BUT WHAT YOUR COUNTRY CAN DO FOR YOU.”

Was I a sucker [Trump’s word] to put my life on the line for my country? How many Americans—especially those wrapped in the American flag-would voluntarily do such today?

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I was making a 90-mile turnpike drive Saturday. While everyone goes the 75 posted limit or a little more, i decided to dial it back to 60-65mph. I watched the car’s miles-per-gallon improve 10%. On that drive that took just a little more time, I thought about the cars whizzing past me in the other lane, mindlessly burning 10% more fossil fuel, for what? I don’t have inclination right now to buy an electric car, what I’ve got has more years to go as a viable transport.

Let’s all take a slower drive, try it you’ll like it. And contemplate those folks burning past you, it was a real experience I tell you.

Remember when national speed was bumped down to 55mph?

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Keith, I feel exactly the same after having served years in the Army. trump's statement about suckers was disgusting. I'm equally upset that Congress didn't respond to trump's words. To my knowledge, Veterans' organizations didn't respond to trump either. Nor did I hear of any public rebuke of trump for saying that. So, I thought, "This is another major mark of the U.S. continuing downfall. I'd love to see trump (and Jarvanka) in basic training, especially Marine basic where the DIs would slap him silly. If trump made it through basic, he would probably be missing most of his teeth, compliments of his DI and perhaps his fellow recruits.

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Heydon I was also appalled when Bone Spur Trump referred to those who served and died in the military as ‘losers’ and ‘suckers.’ When a C-130 would land and leave me alone with a M-16 and .45 in rebel-infested Congolese provinces, I did not consider the air crew or the Fort Bragg soldiers ‘losers’ or ‘suckers.’ They, like me, were proudly serving our country.

That veterans’ organizations have not given Bone Spur a strong and unrelenting rebuff for dishonoring those who serve their country in the military leaves me gobsmacked.

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His words have no meaning. He will never feel the courage or the enduring spirit of men on the front lines. I was so glad when he uttered those words that will define him forever. They serve to illuminate men like you who we love so well.

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Ah, back in the days of optimistic public-mindedness, that clever-sounding slogan spoke volumes. It meant one thing to people who truly wanted to take positive action toward a better future, and something else to hypocrites, who've turned it back on itself for their own benefit, be it political or financial. I never did like it. Some easy words too easy to turn around. And were.

So here we are.

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The makers are charging the takers again? Aren’t we surprised. Remember when oil makers said they would only make lead-free gasoline if the costs were pushed onto con summers? What makes anybody believe they’ll stop with insulin?

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Why does anyone still believe that the execs in their corner offices are the makers and all the people doing the work are the takers? That’s backwards.

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Precisely.

Inflation up 7.9%. Wages up 5.6%.

So the typical employee only took a 2.3% pay cut.

How will that play out come midterms?

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Republicans will still win because working class Republicans aspire to be owning class Republicans and believe that they'll get there by voting for owning class Republicans.

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Since I write on healthcare, I can add some information to Prof. Heather's post. On the topic of diabetes. "The increase in annual diabetes spending between 1996 and 2013 was $64.4 billion of which $44.4 billion of this increase was pharmaceutical spending. Said another way, two-thirds of the increase in treating diabetes was due simply to the increased pricing of pharmaceutical companies."

In 1996 Eli Lilly’s Humalog was $21 per vial. By 2017, the price increased to $275 (700%) for a vial which equates to a one-month supply.

Why has the cost of Humalog increased? “The truth is the improvements in new formularies of old versions which are marginally different, and the clinical benefits of them over the older drugs have been zero.” Just like slapping “new and improved” on the labels of food products with a change of ingredients (which qualifies under USDA and FDA labeling regs)., pharmaceuticals can play the same game and they do.

This is from 2019. Pricing without regard to costs is the biggest issue with Humalog. People argue prices and I argue costs which do not necessarily translate to pricing justification. This is what I did in manufacturing for 40+ years.

The VA pays far less for Humalog. Less costly than Medicare, And far less than commercial healthcare.

When I need infusions of Rituxan, traditional Medicare cost is $8000 as compared to list of $28,000.

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These are perfect examples of what happens when capitalism isn't tightly regulated: like a plague of locusts, it will eat everything it encounters.

On a related note, imagine waking up one day and you realize you're the CEO of a Big Pharma company. Suddenly, it occurs to you that you're the person who approved these inhumane, greedy price increases on people dealing with serious diseases. Horrifying, right? Not to the people whose annual bonuses and stock options reward them for making other humans suffer.

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Michael:

When I was asked to write on opioid addiction and Camron King, it was discovered the efforts of his mother to gain legislation against the over prescription of opioids was countered by legislators who took an ~ 1 billion dollars in political support which included NM.

You can watch the increase in opioid abuse starting in 1996 with the introduction of Oxycontin by Purdue onward through 2017 using Senate Committee data. There is no denying Purdue had an impact on drug abuse. They will walk away from this unscathed with an 8 billion dollar penalty. It is not enough. I used to chase prisoners in the Marine Corps for marijuana usage to their court martials. For a sergeant, it was dirty and sad duty. Those kids paid for being stupid.

It is the state and federal legislators that should be held accountable for this and the rising pricing of drugs regardless of cost.

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For those of you who are curious, look to the Jick and Porter letter from 1980. One sentence was abused and altered by those pushing OxyContin. "We conclude that despite widespread use of narcotic drugs in hospitals, the development of addiction is rare in medical patients with no history of addiction. "

They dropped the "use of narcotic drugs (opioids) in a hospitals."

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Michael, management bonuses are sacred in the United States. Those have grown more than exponentially since 1980 and fuel a myriad of problems here and overseas.

But, as long as management prioritizes bonuses above ALL other aspects of business operation, then, we will have companies like Apple with giagantic factories in China paying people $17/day inside fenced compounds that one cannot escape from where people work AT LEAST 10 hour shifts in very, very tough conditions.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/5365914/workers-at-apple-factory-in-china-work-10-hour-shifts-exposed-to-toxic-gases-for-just-55-a-week-campaign-group-claims/#:~:text=EMPLOYEES%20at%20a%20giant%20Chinese,while%20working%20in%20cramped%20workshops.

So, anyone who says American sponsored "slavery" is part of the past is simply not paying attention.

And, modern slavery is fueled by American management bonuses, more than 90% of which go to white men.

https://thesocietypages.org/specials/fortune-500-ceos-2000-2020-still-male-still-white/#:~:text=White%20men%20may%20have%20lost,still%20hold%2085.8%25%20in%202020.

Not much has changed here since 1845. Just Corporations are not called Plantations.

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In my former life, annual performance bonuses were a key part of much of my career. But luckily they weren’t tied to bad things. I do, though, understand the inducement.

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Michael Big Pharma, billionaires and corporations who pay no or minimal taxes, farmers who get paid billions for not planting, churches that are clearly political under their tax exempt umbrella—-these all enjoy a Senate ‘get out of jail’ pass, while lobbyists don’t employ their sleaze to support child care, voter rights, and other basic needs of the American people.

Sadly, this seems to be the modern American Way. President Biden has endeavored to redress this balance, but he has been unable to obtain the support of his ‘progressive/depressive’ Democratic Congress.

President Biden’s adroit handling of our ship of state is endangered. Unless there is a Democratic miracle in November with our large ‘false fact’ populous, the Republican Good ‘ol Boys will return with Turkey Chin McConnell, Cancun Cruz, and Horseshit Hawley and their ‘shit of state.’

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For a lark Keith, look up Yertle the Turtle. byDr. Seuss. The parody will be apparent.

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Pat Thanks! My daughter teaching elementary school and almost certainly will have access to Yertle the Turtle, which I missed by a generation (or two).

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Excellent list. I would add the billions of dollars in subsidies paid to the highly profitable oil companies.

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Bill, great post and thank you. Really highlights how corruption has entered all walks of American capitalism (and most of its "Democracy").

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Bill, thank you for this explanation.

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Add in the exponential growth of the American waistline (obesity) and the number of people requiring insulin increases the demand (= profits) even more.

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Is Eli Lilly in cahoots with Little Debbie?

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I'd say "Yes". I imagine they're also in cahoots with Monsanto who produces GMO seeds. Seeds which include GMO corn which is used to produce High Fructose Corn Syrup which is used in so many processed foods in the U.S. which contributes to obesity and...diabetes...which in turn leads people to Lilly's door in need of an insulin fix. The circle goes round and round and round. So it goes....

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Thanks, Bill. Question:Is it possible for the average consumer to find out the cost (not price) of a drug?

We’re charged considerably less for hubby’s Rx paying cash vs. using insurance.The system is broken..

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Hi Kathy;

Not likely although you may be able to Google costs. The cost plus mark-up will not equal the price charged. Manufacturers of pharma do not typically deal directly with drug stores. I scrapped out several mi;;iom pills one time a couple of decades ago for a few $thousand. Pricing was much higher.

There is another layer for sure called PBMs or pharmacy benefit managers who negotiate for drug stores and take a cut of the discount achieved. Manufacturers claim they have to charge more because of PBMs taking larger cuts or "rebates." The actual discount received is not made known to Healthcare Insurance plans.

Need article and flow chart here: https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/explainer/2019/apr/pharmacy-benefit-managers-and-their-role-drug-spending

VA gets the best costs for its formulary. Medicare should be allowed to use the VA formulary and Part D would mostly disappear. Asking about actual cost is a good question to ask. Also R&D costs are recouped in ~6 years according to a WHO technical paper.

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Thanks, Bill ! So informative. I was aware of PBM’s but not the “devil in the details”.

Trying to ask and dig for answers from the industry is soooo frustrating !

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Amazing how insulin is the new Oxycotin for the powerful. You don’t need Oxy, there was little demand for it, till lobbyist got their way with the FDA. Oxy has killed millions, anyone helplessly addicted, robbed them of everything, even their families, and the price plummeted as production soared to abundant over supply. Tens of millions need insulin to survive, they can die with out, it is not a question of just missing work, and the price soars beyond comprehension. And they, the ‘new hot mess’ call it Capitalism.

Unbridled profit, without concern for how well it serves humanity, and profit that harms humanity, will only keep doing so until humanity is gone. We can do so much better in this country.

“Every reform is not Communism.”-Robert Kennedy

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Your last line “ Every reform is not Communism.”-Robert Kennedy is spot on. It’s obvious capitalism isn’t working for the people, but the corporations are in great shape and that’s what counts in America. It does not have to be that way.

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Nope. But it’s not Capitalism/free markets, it’s those with power, more resources, and access bending Capitalism to serve themselves rather than the greater good. As a preventative, Governent has to regulate business. Failure to do so, leads to gross inequality, a growing wealth gap, and that creates class conflict.

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Adam Smith, in his Wealth of Nations, which capitalists refer to as their Bible, wrote about the need for government involvement, because, ‘when businessmen got together, they sought to monopoly their businesses.’

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Capitalism, our economic engine, must be regulated by our government. "Democracy Capitalism" (Thank You Frederick) is a good thing. Capitalism Owned Democracy is not.

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HST “Socialism is the epithet they have hurled at every advance the people have made in the last 20 years.” Make that 70, and it’s where we are today.

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I’m ready to join the far left Democrats—Sanders, Warren and AOC. This complete lack of regard for diabetics who aren’t millionaires (as I am guessing there HAVE to be some Republicans with diabetes—who probably also own stock in and owe favor to—big pharma) is pushing me further to the left.

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ScannyDo, welcome to sanity. It's amazing how much cognitive and emotional energy gets released when one no longer has to expend much of it trying to resolve the dissonance of the "corporate conservative" branch of economics. I started out leftish (thanks, Mom and Dad for all your talk about fairness and equity), but as I learned more, I've moved further to the left, though where I am is not actually "left" in the sense it is usually used. It is based on community and compassion, and deeply intertwined with traditional values of the people I come from. This makes me a conservative in the original sense of the word, but the closest word we have right now is "progressive".

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That’s it, exactly. Now how do we convince more Americans?

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ScannyDo, we do the things people are talking about needing to do in the posts. It's old-fashioned electioneering in it's most positive form. Building community. Talking to people about voting, but not about campaigning yet. Let the candidates make their own cases, then if you feel comfortable ( and have the energy and the inclination), join in. Join the party that reflects your values, even if imperfectly, and ask how you can help out. Write letters to the editor. Write on your local community forum. Go door to door for whichever party you choose to work with, if you do. (This is among the most effective things we can do, by the way.) Write postcards/letters. This is grass-roots work and this year it is more critical than it has been for a long time. You can't do it all, but pick something you can do and go for it.

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I remember during the 2016 election season reading an article in The Guardian (I believe) about the enormous price-gouging surrounding Insulin and how Joe Manchin's daughter, Heather Bresch, worked to make this life-saving medication unaffordable for consumers.

Articles about this unconscionable act can also be found at the Jacobin, which called out Bresch as "Manchin's Appalling Daughter."

We have every right to forensically critique the mind-numbing cruelty of the GOP, but we also need to call out bad democrats when needed.

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Deborah, Manchin's daughter, former CEO of the now defunct Mylan, was responsible for the outrageous rise in the price of epipen, not insulin

https://jacobinmag.com/2021/10/joe-manchin-daughter-heather-bresch-mylan-epipen/

https://www.opensecrets.org

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It just goes to show that, sadly (as Great Agent Orange would say), you can't cheat all of the people all of the time. But, just as the NRA does what it can to help people kill people, so that Great Industry dedicated to curing people does what it can to kill the unworthy poor, thus transformed into a worthy human sacrifice to the Profit Fetish.

Guardian articles by Michael Sainato are dated September 23rd 2019 and January 4th 2022.

Warnock's bill capping the price for 1 month's supply of insulin at $35 completes protection for diabetics.

Wicked, wicked, this Soshlist scheming to revive human lives...

I just love Kevin Brady's modified and improved Kominform-Speak:

"Dems reviving their SOCIALIST drug pricing scheme from their FAILED RADICAL tax AND SPENDING SPREE".

That wealth of adjectives!

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Just a reminder to all that the $35 cap is on the insurance copay. Folks without health insurance are tough out of luck. Hopefully many folks with a chronic disease like diabetes will qualify for Medicaid or Medicare

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Some form of universal health care is the other side of this equation. And it's being worked on. Just need to get all those people who support it to take some action so we all can see it. Working on that too.

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Peter, I couldn't agree more. And yet, there's ample room for conversation on both the NRA/firearms issue and Big Pharma. The one thing that strikes me odd are the millions of people who bare their teeth and spit venom the minute a change to gun laws is proposed and yet when the price of insulin (or any other critical drug) skyrockets there is silence from the Republican base and media. No one can tell me that every Republican/Independent voter and their minor offspring are well insured and/or magically immune from diabetes or, in the case of epipen, anaphylactic shock. But they stay quiet. In fact, they stay extraordinarily quiet. Can they ALL afford to pay out of pocket for, critical, lifesaving meds? Do they ALL have fantastic insurance coverage? Are they ALL on Medicare or Medicaid? After the last 2 years of raging pandemic, many of those same people who advocate mightily for the right to bear arms couldn't care less about the fact that there have been FREE vaccines available to every person in the us who falls within the age guidelines. They choose disease. They choose death.

So now, I wonder this: how and why did a hefty portion of our population decide to choose death as a goal post? Death by gunshot? Death by disease? Death by ignorance?

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Daria, your frustration is well-founded and easy to understand. I think a lot of those who make that choice are just plain scared and uncertain. I hear story after story, still, from families who are sharing their own tragic stories, trying to convince their neighbors and communities to get the shots, lock up guns, take care of themselves so they don't get diabetes. And on and on.

When I got my booster last fall, I ran into some older folks I didn't know, probably close to my own age. I was coming as they were leaving and somehow, distanced, masked, and outdoors, we got into a conversation (I'm like that).

They had actually been isolating at home, with help from family, this whole time, and admitted, a little sheepishly, that they decided to finally get vaccinated when it became clear that the people getting sick were the unvaccinated. I congratulated them and told them I was happy they had made that choice.

That opened the door for them to ask me questions. I told them that I was there for the booster. I explained that I had had Covid at the beginning of the pandemic, was pretty sick but able to recover at home, slowly. I spent nearly a year waiting for the vaccine, and got it as soon as it was available. They were curious about how I'd reacted to the vaccination before (it turned out that their big concern was the possibility of adverse reactions). And wondered how the vaccination was compared to having Covid. I told them that Covid scared the **** out of me, because I had a hard time breathing and a lot of weird neuro stuff, and it took a while to get back up to speed. I did have a strong reaction to the vaccine (sore arm, achiness), it was nothing compared to Covid. My reaction was a good thing: it showed that my body was already producing antibodies. Both of them thanked me, and looked relieved. I got to pet their dog, and off they went.

I think this is fairly typical, though sometimes people give other reasons than simply being frightened about what they think of as the unknown. They are not so much making a choice for death as they are waiting and seeing.

Then there are those who honestly think it's not that bad, and it won't hurt them- until they or someone in their family gets it and dies or spends weeks in the hospital. The young man at the pizza shop on my first outing stated with much braggadocio that the whole thing was blown out of proportion; he thought it was bogus, no worse than the flu. I had a rapt audience as I explained to everyone in the whole shop (door open, ppl distancing) point by point why he was wrong. And that I could personally attest that this was definitely NOT the flu. A couple months later when I went in (now shop was call-in, pick up only, so no crowd). His whole family had had Covid. The whole crew called out to me as I picked up my pizza and left.

The ones that seem to not be reachable are the folks who've bought into the conspiracy pit and are so vested that their egos won't let go. I'm not sure any of these people are choosing death. They just can't see past the immediate.

I ache for them at the same time I am angry: because of them, I am again in a kind of isolation because I am in that "high vulnerability" group. And so is my son-in-law. And some people I care about. My anger is this: why is it okay to make us have to isolate and wear masks so they can hang onto their fantasies and pretend that they are not going to get it?

People are getting sick again and most of them will be from one of those three groups. I can be comforted by knowing that I, at least, might get mildly sick, but not likely to need special care. Many of the unvaccinated will not be so fortunate. The ones I worry about, though, are people who cannot be vaccinated, such as people being treated for cancer or auto-immune. disease. Lots of kids too young to be vaccinated- but hopefully soon. In the meantime we should be protecting them, not isolating them.

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Annie, I'm glad you were able to recover at home and not go through the added risk of hospitalization. And, I'm glad you were able to reach out and have a conversation with the folks outside the vaccination center and allay some of their fears.

My husband and I have been vaccinated and boosted and, thus far, have remained Covid free. Because I am in an extremely high risk category we go out infrequently and take every precaution when we do. Nonetheless, things are a little different in the state of Yucatán. Masking in public is still required, there are still limits on the number of patrons allowed in stores/eating/drinking/establishments and entertainment/sports venues. Most people who live here adhere fairly strictly to the protocols. Many tourists, particularly from the US, don't. Their pat answer when asked to mask is: the CDC says I don't have to wear a mask. Of course, it never occurs to them that the US CDC has no jurisdiction in México. The couple times I've been to the US since Covid hit I've been struck by how many people take the whole thing so casually...too me, it's otherworldly.

I think you're right though – there are many people who do not see beyond the moment they are in and fail to understand that the here and now shapes the basis for every tomorrow. Please take care of yourself. Spring and summer are ahead for us to enjoy. 🌷🌷

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Thank you, Daria. It shouldn't surprise me that entitled Americans assume that their rules are the one that apply. Still it stuns me that people would go to another nation and expect to be accommodated. That kind of person also will do that in other people's houses and claim "their rights" being violated. Mine are violated by their coming in my house unmasked, so they are asked not to. I figure they are not my friends if they behave this way, so no loss. In my state, some towns retain the mask mandate while others don't. Even in those towns, some businesses require masks and distancing. I will enter those shops, even if only to talk to someone I am not related to. We get a lot of tourists here, and our small "super"market is often crowded with unmasked people. I drive to another town to grocery shop, which is fine, because it's a coop and I also run into people I know. I think I would feel right at home in the Yucatan, from your description. Another place I'd like to visit, but I'd never get around to them all anyway, even if I could afford it. So I enjoy your posts about what is going on there, and the attitude of the people.

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Well Annie, you see I was right. We share some anger but you let your good heart guide you. A sound example to us all.

I'm grateful for your telling of these simple exchanges with fellow human beings not malevolent but confused.

I wish I could be more outgoing but I have noticed that, when seriously ill, fellow-feeling comes naturally and social barriers vanish.

The suffering of children is unbearable and here the indifference of Manchin's daughter becomes criminal.

As for the father's attitude to the service of his country, the kindest word that comes to mind is "perverse". Some others are unprintable.

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Good point for thinking about.

I'll ask around, especially among people I know who are in frequent contact with True Believers.

It would be a good idea if others did likewise.

These people do tend to believe in one thing and its opposite. Some are persuaded that they are among God's Chosen...

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Peter, right in the middle of this post I thought I heard your heart breaking. And then you showed it to us. You are a fine man person

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Annie, all this sounds to me like your own caring and kindness, not mine. There are countless causes for heartbreak at this moment, but here it may be that you sensed not my pain but my patience breaking.

The mix of limitless greed and the crassest stupidity is hard to bear and there are moments when TC's vengeful fantasies dance on the outer edge of my conscious mind.

I don't want to say more, but there is plenty of reason to pity wretched bandits like these and infinitely more to pity their victims.

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Thank you, Peter. But heartbreak isn't limited only to caring and kindness. I think it is just as applicable to patience giving way. Mine is too. And I agree with all you said. I am in another kind of pain right now due to the near-death of one friend and the loss of another for more complicated reasons. Some days when I read what is going on, it's just too much. And sometimes certain comments on here miss the mark by so much I just have to stop reading. More loss, because this group often helps ground me, and further, helps me clarify what is important. Including not giving away my own capacity for pity and compassion even for people I really can't stand. That simply is not part of the deal for me.

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I shall reply.

But now, only to say that your words go so deep, it is a gift to receive them. A rare gift.

I am grateful.

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The entire Manchin family suffers from black soul disease.

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I was hoping someone would mention this ⬆️

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Thanks for this read Lynell. What a money hungry family!!!😡

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You're welcome, LouAnn. Money hungry, indeed. 😣

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How helpful, this graphic child's guide to How It Works.

Or rather... How It Doesn't Work.

Not, at all events for those citizens who Our Lord Mammon has deemed to be less-equal-than-others...

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For a chronology of the epipen debacle go to the Criticism heading of this Wikipedia article. The entire Manchin family had its hands in the epipen pot of gold.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mylan

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Manchin and his daughter are not true Democrats. There must be something in it for him & his family to call himself a Democrat. Maybe he was when he worked in retail, but coal proved more profitable.

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Both Manchin’s qualify, yes she is still the cretin’s daughter.

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"Bad democrats" -- such a polite euphemism...

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Yeah: I should have written "Awful."

I also had thought of another term, but not on this thread.

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Why are the Republicans working so hard to “save children’s lives” on the front end by outlawing abortions and controlling women’s health — only to kill those children with keto acidosis on the back end and no health care insurance?

Just pointing out their vile hypocrisy with a rhetorical question, to which we all know the answer....Thank you Dr. Richardson, for keeping the right issues on the burner at the right times. AND, if we can pass both voting laws and thereby keep a majority congress we can do something about these horrible issues. President Biden will have two more years.

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PS: As a brittle type 2 diabetic who gets his insulin from the VA for free, it breaks my heart to see people have to pay so much for it.

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Having type 1 diabetes since I was 17, every career choice I made had to be based on health insurance availability and job security, basically working for the government. Being without insurance for any extended period was not an option. Universal health care would have been a godsend, freedom to choose a more rewarding career perhaps. Even with insurance, the cost of insulin is still above what Canadians pay. Unbridled capitalism will be the death of this country.

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Your story give life to the truth about how need for Healthcare (insurance coverage, actually) eliminates pursuits of dreams and options available to other Americans. When we were working on increasing the return to work of young adults on Social Security Disability Insurance we found the same phenomenon. Need follows resources and, among otherwise rational people, that need takes precedence over risk associated with the possibilities to rise above poverty and achieve greater social and economic equity. In studies of SSDI populations conducted 20-years apart, assured access to health care (medication, doctors, in-hospital treatment, transportation, extra-hospital therapies) remained the single most important deterrent to pursuing gainful employment. Our society is not designed for those at risk, their underachievement and poverty remain status conditions that weigh upon all of us as a result, IMHO.

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My son agrees with this. He was 26 when diagnosed with Type 1.

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Hypocrisy and bullying are institutional in republican circles now

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Much longer than “now”!

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The modern Republican Party is dominated by the same mindset that made slavery the "mudsill" of the economy. There are those who deserve all the benefits of society. And there are those whose lot in life is to provide those benefits for those who deserve the benefits. And there is no overlap between these groups. Elites and their slaves.

It doesn't matter whether we call it a "mudsill economy," or a "Laissez Faire economy," or a "supply side economy," It's the same damn thing. It's a slave economy.

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Joseph. Exactly correct.

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If anything kills democracy it's going to be greed and lust for power. Hoarding money and making ever bigger profits is our problem. Trickle down & supply side has had it's chance and it doesn't help most of us in the long run...and once the "average American" invests in the stock of let's say fossil fuels or health care their future is wedded to the profits of those things. Bravo to the workers who voted in a Union at Amazon yesterday. If it wasn't obvious before we should understand that the purpose for the creation of the "Fox News" channel was to play to the fears of "average" Americans and keep power out of the hands of folks who support taxes and regulations for almost anything...and to foster the notion that white, straight, male, Christian American has been great and "perfect" at everything they've ever done. Trump was the acid fueled dream of many of those folks. Now just to keep the record straight, this is being written by someone who was born during Ike's term into a Republican/Christian family going back to Lincoln, who is male, white & straight. We need to figure out how to communicate the truth to enough of our family, friends & neighbors who don't get it....and to pressure politicians & big business. This forum is a wonderful source of information & community...but there needs to be focused positive action around that.

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"If anything kills democracy it's going to be greed and lust for power."

Exactly correct Mike. At least from my perspective the most significant weakness of our "Democracy" is that members of Congress are basically paid stooges of American corporations.

In this order, the people running America are: Military Contractors, Big Oil, Big Pharma, Big (anything that produces money in the halls of Congress).

And, our US Congress is mostly a good approximation of the "The Best Little W...House in Texas".

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This is true, but surely the American public bears some responsibility. How many looked the other way and took the money, no matter their “stated” allegiances?

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We need to not buy from Wal mart & Amazon if possible. Use what mom & pop shops are available...

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Money has been a large influence in Congress from the beginning. It's just become oversized like our big box stores & container ships. Our issue now stems from too few, control too much....and now with so many using Amazon, Bezos has acquired immense power. I'm glad to see the Union movement starting there. History does repeat itself.

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My adult kids think all Congress critters should have to wear a cloak with all their corporate sponsors on it.....similar to race cars.

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I like it. It all needs to be out in the open. The big corporations pay to have influence and access. The scale of the money is absurd.

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If you want to F with Congress pay them minimum wage. Maybe an exodus? Maybe a dorm room 10x10 with a roommate . And let them take out a student loan against the time they are gainfully employed. Okay okay throw in meals.

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The problem is they have streams of revenue that are not their paycheck. The only real checks on elected "representatives" at any level is the vote and hearing from the people who elect them. ...sometimes in the form of protest or an avalanche of mail, calls, etc.

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A note from the Jewish rabbi: He had just finished blessing the children, when a rich young man came up to him, asking what he needed to do to have eternal life. Jesus said, "you know what to do: keep the commandments." "But I've always done that," he said. "Then," said the Rabbi, " sell all you have and give the money to the poor. Then come with me." And the young man went away, grieving, because he was very rich.

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Yes, Jesus lived in poverty, was good to anyone rejected by then society, gave everything he had to the people around him, taught love, tolerance, forgiveness and compassion and........

.....Rosalind, for all his efforts?

Jesus was crucified.

I think about that more lately than when I was younger.

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Yes, and the wealth of these mega church leaders and the Catholic Church is another it of “Christian” hypocrisy. So much for that vow of poverty

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Remember that it was the rabbi who said, “why do you call me good? There is one that is good and that is God.”

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The role of the Crucifixion is to condemn the existing religious and political authorities and for Jesus to make the gift of his death.

Denigrating the forebears, binds the faithful to the new dispensation. The gift of death is incommensurate.

The Church had to outlaw suicide because too many adherents were taking imatatio dei a step too far.

One can try to follow the example of Jesus' life but can never make reparation for his dying for your sins.

The other side of the resulting guilt is resentment. Which fuels the vehemence of Christian religious extremism.

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Oh. Darn.

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Can’t ❤️!!

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Well later a book was written about him that is regarded as the base of all Western literature, as we as the basis of our democratic laws if I'm not too mistaken. No matter how you look at it, he didn't expect any rewards, and did not fear death. I would bet death was a relief after living in this world.

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I think about it every day…

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Bravo Mike, Fox has done exactly that and made a killing in the effort. Now I see MSM following that evil playbook and I fear that Reagan’s plan is nearing completion. Integrity in our press corp gave me hope, now it is signing on to, not only predicting who will win in Nov., but aiding that outcome. How can democracy survive that???

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Join Heather's Herd!

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Those Repubs definitely live in a different universe, I find it hard to believe anything else!

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Chris, how I wish that was true. Have a good night all, I’m hitting the sack. Probably just lay there and count Republicans....

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Every three Republicans, breath in: hold for three Republicans; breathiut for three Republicans,, hold your breath out for three Republicans fir a complete cycle (purifies your thoughts). Do this three times. Sweet dreams.

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I do that in a cycle of fours; in for four, hold for four, out for four, hold for four, repeat four times. It slows the heart rate noticeably. (I used to do that in high stress situations; pursuit driving, range qualifications.)

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Susan and Ally, thanks for the tip on "Square breathing!" I learned that in a VA ptsd group oh, lordy, maybe 16 years ago--and it really does work. Stress, centering, even getting to sleep quickly; but this is the first time anyone has advised me to count Republicans. Ha!

(Maybe counting Democrats would work better....) 😁

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Greedy bastards says it all.

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Greedy Lying Bastards was a great documentary an entire decade ago. Oil barons, drug barons all cut from the same cloth

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Never ever underestimate the mendacity, greed, and corruption of a rightwing politician in search of a buck. Same for Big Pharma, whose specious claims that Research and Development costs are what drive the price of new drugs. They don't, because universities and research institutes shoulder most of those bills these days. As someone who is in thrall to Big Pharma, because I am on a "specialty" drug that keeps me alive and the cancer at bay, I can very safely say they are exactly the kinds of companies that give capitalism a bad name. They all--not just the egregious Sackler family--made the price of opioids less than the price of milk because they knew that cheap opioids would addict millions of people and would enrich themselves, the doctors who got kickbacks for prescribing them, and the agents who shilled for them. In contrast, insulin--which has been around for ages and is more or less FREE everywhere else in the "developed" world because it costs nothing to make--has been used as a form of extortion because, even though insulin-dependent diabetics are a significant population, they are still a minority, and one that is poorly understood by the public--which doesn't understand the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 and therefore blames the victims of this condition with specious and bigoted claims that it is "their" fault they are insulin dependent. So, in the neo-Victorian drive to create categories of people "deserving" of help and "undeserving"--revived under Ronnie Ray-gun and now the fundamental position of all Despicables and Deplorables in the USA--diabetics are to be extorted and shamed and told they can just die if they don't want to pay for their "crime" of being insulin dependent.

The reasons why the meds I am on are listed as having a retail price (without insurance) of $24,000 A MONTH has nothing to do with R&D, or with the costs of manufacturing it (pennies). It has to do with the utter greed and cynicism of Big Pharma, which has been using cancer patients as their personal slush fund for decades. I don't pay this cost but the hoops I have had to go through and the groveling I have had to engage in to "prove" that I am "worthy" of receiving assistance to pay for this drug has been enlightening to me because it is a performance the drug company REQUIRES in order for me to receive this drug that is keeping me alive. And why? Because the class of meds I am on are very effective for a time, and then they are not. So Big Pharma knows that when they advertise that this one or that one can give a cancer patient "more time" they are talking about months or a few years--not a lifetime. And they also know that they have to get their money fast, because the length of time people are on this medication is an average of 3 years. So they gotta make their billions as quickly as possible.

Sorry: I have been dealing with this crap all week and I am so totally, utterly fed up. Thanks for letting me blow off some steam.

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Blow as much steam as needed. Your story is a fine example of why we need "healthcare for all".

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And some rational approach to pricing.

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I'm glad you blew off some steam. "cancer patients as their personal slush fund for decades" is quite the description.

Hearing your story makes me (is "glad" the right word?) that my breast cancer treatment was short term and (so far) effective. I noted earlier that because of FABULOUS health insurance I had at the time, I was able to get Neulesta post chemo tx, and some really powerful anti-nausea drugs at $4-6K per script, for no cost to me. Surgery, chemo, radiation, hormone therapy all covered completely by insurance. I did not pay a cent. (I did have to return to full time work just before starting radiation therapy, but that was the county's policy at the time... 6 months and you return to work, or you're gone.)

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The "county's policy"---I read that and knowing that you were in the police force, I can't help but wonder what percentage of the county's policy were female. There can be a huge discrepancy between breast cancer patients and their course of treatments depending upon the type of cancer and staging of the tumor. Pretty hard to lay down a line of 6 months.

When I was working closely with pediatric oncology, I saw extended family (and even a few times, a neighbor) bring kids in for their chemo. The parent HAD to work to have the medical coverage to treat the child.

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It is despicable that we, the people, have to beat on our chests to get anything decent for ourselves or our children! America “Land of the Free”??

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It was an absolute. There were some times (pregnancy being one of them) that a “modified duty assignment” would extend the time.

When I went back to work I had whispy, thin hair starting to come back.

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Ally, I’m a 2 x bc survivor. Didn’t have chemo but received tamoxifen which caused hair thinning and awful joint pain. Also, in the early 90’s, after having my second daughter, carpal tunnel developed in my left hand. So painful that I couldn’t sleep. I too, was put on “modified work”. HR tried to tell me that it was because I had been pregnant that I got carpal tunnel. Excuse me, but the hand I got in is the only one I have! I was born with one hand and a cute little stump on the right side that my husband named “Shorty”. But this accusation was really crazy because I worked for an insurance company as a claims supervisor for anything over $100,000. Because I became injured at work, I filed a Worker’s Comp claim. (Oh, and I worked those types of claims too!) For the first time in my life, I became a claimant. This company had a monopoly on these claims as they handled “their own” in-house. It was quite a revelation to be on the other side of the fence. Their treatment of my issues was horrendous! Imagine what they do to people who don’t know the laws.

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Ally so glad you're doing well!!! In my first breast cancer situation, 27 years ago, I worked full time through the entire process. As an academic I could take time off in the summer to deal with all the surgeries but was teaching during the rest of the treatment. It was difficult. And I had to shell out a fair amount of money, but a manageable amount.

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Ally, my brother had an unidentified blood disorder that required he get a Neulasta shot about every 6-8 weeks. Because the docs couldn't identify why his white blood count dipped dangerously, his insurance wouldn't cover the cost. This was 10 years ago, and I believe he was paying $4K per shot. He has passed from a heart attack, but I believe his heart was probably weakened by fighting the blood disorder for such a long time...3+ years.

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I’m sure there’s a correlation there.

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One of my insulin dependent daughters is Type I, she has been so since 1980. The other is dependent due to pancreatitis. And yes, we have experienced the panic of the high prices. Your perspective on "their fault" is important. There are social factors involved that society must take some blame for......

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Well said, and, if possible, understated. The PhRMA gets about 10% of each major drug company's gross revenue every year for lobbying purposes. We have a very tough row to hoe when it comes to making drug pricing rational.

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Many of today's miracle drugs required years of research and development at high cost. However, 17 year patent protection has still resulted in incredible profits for companies with the horsepower to develop them, provided the market for them is big enough and their market power is not diluted by "me too" analogues. Sales of Tylenol still make it profitable to manufacture and sell at comparatively minimal price per daily maximal recommended dosages. In fact, every miracle drug doesn't have to "pay for itself" when some that are developed become so universally utilized that they create immense profits at relatively low unit dose prices. Orphan drugs that will essentially never become profit centers for the companies that researched, developed and manufactured them need to have different mechanisms to reach the marketplace at affordable cost than the Tylenols of this world. In many cases, the rise of the generics after patent protection has expired has the expected effect; the compound is manufactured by several competitors and the price plummets. When market forces don't work, as in the case of insulin, that's when governments need to step in and regulate the market to the benefit of the public, rather than that of the manufacturers. One knows when one has squeezed the profit margins too much when producers choose to get out of the market rather than stay in it and compete in the presence of constraints on price.

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Thank you for showing us that both Democrats and repubs supported legislation that is for All the people: FDR and Eisenhower. That was then. This is now, when repubs just can’t believe that sharing the wealth is a good thing. They dismantle and deny services for the people who need it most. It’s unbelievable that repubs vote against providing a lifesaving and absolutely necessary drug, Insulin, at an affordable cost or even free. And the cost of Insulin is not controlled and varies by states. Last year I heard an NPR story about a lower income family that had to uproot and move to a state that charged a significantly lower price for their child’s insulin. New home and jobs. Empathy and compassion are in short supply on one side of the aisle.

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Eisenhower went to Europe and was re-introduced to absolute rulers. Trump went to Russia and decided to become one. Putin paid for Trump’s ambitions and decided to become Stalin. What’s next?

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“ What’s next?”

- For a preview, watch the rising young fascist Sen. Josh Hawley. I though Ted Cruz would be conducting the next version of Joe McCarthy hearings, but I think Hawley is right up there to seize the mantle, new lows.

- Author M. Atwood pegged it in describing a “Gilead” where reproductive choice is squashed under law. Women, half the population, are being pushed down this path and I still don’t see the anger manifest at the ballot box. Just look at the new boilerplate (coordinated in a wave) legislation in Texas, Missouri, Kansas, Florida and any other states with R.-party control of statehouse, or state supermajority.

- in those same states, the movement to make the US a Christian theocracy keeps trying. Big coastal states refuse to understand, when Rs control two thirds and more of the statehouses, and US house and senate, and supreme court, this country is toast.

- pablum media do near-nothing to educate and inform. They enabled TFG to get in office, and will do so again because they still chase ratings and advertiser money, not truth and education of the viewing public.

Quite a corner we have backed into.

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DeSantis will grow a small mustache.

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Ah! The future is revealed.

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Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he reap.

These too are sowing hell on earth.

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Peter, yes, Jesus did teach that one "reaps what he sows".

But, I have to offer: My own obervational data indicates that, certainly in corporations, the absolute nastiest, most vile, people rise to the top and those that even come close to approximating Jesus get literally crushed.

Hence, my own middle ground walk through corporate America. I stayed highly technical, mostly avoiding management, so that, at least for a very long time, they could not get rid of me and paid me well so I would stay and keep making them richer.

But, I never saw anyone that was kind, compassionate, helpful and caring rise up in management in an American corporation. Not ever. Not once.

Similarly, in politics it seems the same. Trump became President.

So, I have to say, my observational data does indicate that Jesus may have been a little off with his assessment of outcomes.

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"𝘉𝘶𝘵, 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥, 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦, 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘶𝘱 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳. 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦."

I was told once that the qualifications for business leadership are those that describe a psychopath. I can't find the exact quote, but a little research will show some truth in that.

"𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘚𝘔-5, 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 "𝘈𝘭𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘋𝘚𝘔-5 𝘔𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴", 𝘈𝘚𝘗𝘋 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘱𝘴𝘺𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘤 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 '𝘢 𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘹𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘢 𝘣𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘺𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘬 𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘥𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘳𝘴 (𝘦.𝘨., 𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦).' 𝘓𝘰𝘸 𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩 𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯-𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘯𝘹𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘺 "

"𝘉𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘵, 𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴, 𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴, 𝘴𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤, 𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘵, 𝘣𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘢𝘭, 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘧𝘶𝘭; 𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵; 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦; 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘶𝘴, 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴."

"𝘙𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴, 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘳𝘶𝘥𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥𝘭𝘺 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨; 𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨; 𝘦𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴, 𝘢𝘷𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴; 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antisocial_personality_disorder#:~:text=In%20the%20DSM%2D5%2C%20under,high%20levels%20of%20attention%2Dseeking

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Sounds just like Trumputin the Great...

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Short-term outcomes.

It does rather more than just educate the mind to live by the assumption that all causes will have effects.

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Irenie. Disgusting, is it not?

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Yes, Mike, Politics and Power.

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And I have to say something about the loss of Jen Psaki to broadcast news. Without a doubt, the best press secretary EVER. Intelligent, well-spoken, concise, factual AND not afraid to stand up to Fox and other losers. A real shame. I hope her clone replaces her.

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I agree. Jen Psaki is outstanding in every way possible, representing the President, the country. I’m always in awe when she stands before the press and knows /understands what she’s talking about, public policy, history, party and office and why she’s there. Her emotional intelligence, ability to deflect the detractors and remain in charge, poised and with purpose. With actual courtesy and kindness. And sometimes humor. So very sorry to see her leave.

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Irenie, you have captured the best in Jen Psaki.

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She's leaving? I thought she was off with COVID.

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I agree, William. I can't believe there will be anyone replacing her who is half as smart, quick on her feet, and articulate. A real loos to the Biden team.

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However, you can't blame her for taking the opportunity to go on to (what I hope) is bigger and much better things. She will be an asset (to us) no matter where she goes.

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I just hope they realize what they got and don't muzzle her or make her Mick Mullaney secretary

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"Or we can keep shifting the cost to the consumers."

This is the goal of the GOP agenda. Relieve their paymasters of the *burden* of paying their equitable share of taxes while shoveling government benefits into their private nosebags and corporate troughs. And leave the most vulnerable to strangle in their bootstraps and willing to stand on their neighbors' necks to keep their own heads above water.

This crashing down on teaching Critical Race Theory, and Gender Theory is not just about racism and religious extremism - it is about squashing any idea of forming alliances and making common cause. That people might be lead to work together for their civil rights and the general welfare of the nation. Rather than swearing their allegiance to a system of unearned privilege and undeserved disadvantage.

This isn't about little white children feeling bad or biological males in your daughters' bathroom. This is about keeping students from working together for responsible environmental policy, civil rights, a living wage, and gun control,

But the cost of perpetuating ignorance and resentment, is electing Trumps, Taylor Greenes, Hawleys, Boeberts, Gaetzes, Cawthorns et al - which however profitable for the Leonard Leo crowd, is proving a bit problematic.

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... more than a bit ...

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Divide and conquer, the repubs war tactics. Bypass peacetime for power.

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Good analysis, lin. That is their strategy and their "cover", well put. It's starting to fray, I think. And hope. They are starting to eat each other, bit by bit. It would be interesting to watch if the stakes weren't so high. That's why I keep doing what I can to keep caring people from getting off track and letting the Rs set our agenda. We got work to do.

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Or, in short, privatize profits but socialize losses.

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Thanks Deborah, I read a Guardian U.S. Edition updated article by Andrew Perez (Daily Poster) & co-author, David Serota (Guardian columnist) titled, "Big Pharma has a powerful new shill. Krysten Sinema fighting drug price reform". 10/11/2021. What is the cost to Joe Manchin's constituency & the rest of the Country?

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She learned quickly, hope she can be booted as quickly. “Few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder.” George Washington. Applies to women too, George.

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