Congratulations America!

[VaYank5150]

We (the majority of voters R's, D's and I's) put Obama into office in hopes of changing the way Washington works. The centerpiece of his campaign? Healthcare reform. While almost none of us can agree on exactly HOW to do it, the majority of us agree that reform would be a good thing. Based on how things are now looking, the best possible option for a bill will be so watered down, that it will not be worth the price tag.
I blame ALL of us. WE put these people (Congress) into office to work for and represent us. Instead, they are STILL catering to special interest groups and those who line their pockets during election time. The move to disallow importation of foreign made drugs was the last straw. Obama campaigned strongly on allowing this to happen as it could save American citizens upwards of $100,000,000.00 annually. Obama folded as did a majority of Congress.
IF our elected officials are only going to do what the private sector wants, can someone explain to me why we need a public entity government in the first place? Why not simply follow the premise of "War, Inc.". I believe we are closer to that already than even I care to admit.

<climbs down from soap box>

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Reality check, there are no foreign made drugs. Almost all medication that is worth taking was developed HERE. Canada blackmails the US to get cheaper drugs, all we would be doing is cheating our own companies and our Government if we "bought" drugs from Canada. Not to mention the Drug Companies would cease making the deals they make with these Foreign Countries if we did.

It costs MONEY to research test and develop new drugs. The Companies that do that have x amount of time to recoup those costs with a patent system. Canada and other Countries threaten to ignore the patent and illegally make the drugs that cost them NOTHING to be developed if the Companies do not sell them to them cheaper.

There simply are NO cheap drugs anywhere during the patent time.

Want to dry up new drug testing and creation, continue with this ignorance.

Further the center piece of Obama's campaign was NOT health care. Nice red herring.

Lets hope the health care bill dies a needed death. the sooner the better.

 

[xotoxi]

It costs MONEY to research test and develop new drugs.

True.

But another significant cost is the amount spent by these companies on advertising.

Why should they be advertising products that the consumer does not have the ability to purchase on their own without another individual (a doctor) authorizing them to have it?

 

[VaYank5150]

Reality check, there are no foreign made drugs. Almost all medication that is worth taking was developed HERE. Canada blackmails the US to get cheaper drugs, all we would be doing is cheating our own companies and our Government if we "bought" drugs from Canada. Not to mention the Drug Companies would cease making the deals they make with these Foreign Countries if we did.

It costs MONEY to research test and develop new drugs. The Companies that do that have x amount of time to recoup those costs with a patent system. Canada and other Countries threaten to ignore the patent and illegally make the drugs that cost them NOTHING to be developed if the Companies do not sell them to them cheaper.

There simply are NO cheap drugs anywhere during the patent time.

Want to dry up new drug testing and creation, continue with this ignorance.

Further the center piece of Obama's campaign was NOT health care. Nice red herring.

Lets hope the health care bill dies a needed death. the sooner the better.

I don't see why the US can't blackmail these companies the way Canada does? It would appear Canada'a blackmail efforts have not driven these drug companies out of business?

 

[DiamondDave]

It costs MONEY to research test and develop new drugs.

True.

But another significant cost is the amount spent by these companies on advertising.

Why should they be advertising products that the consumer does not have the ability to purchase on their own without another individual (a doctor) authorizing them to have it?

And why does the government and democratic supporters then spend money on advertising to tell you all about the great things behind government run healthcare, all the while they could put the same money towards charities to help those with medical expenses??

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

We (the majority of voters R's, D's and I's) put Obama into office in hopes of changing the way Washington works. The centerpiece of his campaign? Healthcare reform

Ok dickweed, how does healthcare reform = changing the way Washington works? And do you consider record levels of deficits, earmarks, spending, etc. an improvement?

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

Blackmail companies? What kind of fucktard are you? Again, this is changing the way Washington works? DC bullies and blackmails the private sector? Guess what.. you'll be next. God you folks are stupid.

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

You Obamabots have been FUCKED. F U C K E D fucked!!!!!!!

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!! And you're too stupid to realize it! HA HA HA HA !!!!!!

 

[Murf76]

We (the majority of voters R's, D's and I's) put Obama into office in hopes of changing the way Washington works. The centerpiece of his campaign? Healthcare reform. While almost none of us can agree on exactly HOW to do it, the majority of us agree that reform would be a good thing. Based on how things are now looking, the best possible option for a bill will be so watered down, that it will not be worth the price tag.
I blame ALL of us. WE put these people (Congress) into office to work for and represent us. Instead, they are STILL catering to special interest groups and those who line their pockets during election time. The move to disallow importation of foreign made drugs was the last straw. Obama campaigned strongly on allowing this to happen as it could save American citizens upwards of $100,000,000.00 annually. Obama folded as did a majority of Congress.
IF our elected officials are only going to do what the private sector wants, can someone explain to me why we need a public entity government in the first place? Why not simply follow the premise of "War, Inc.". I believe we are closer to that already than even I care to admit.

<climbs down from soap box>

The average man-on-the-street doesn't have to be politically savvy to understand that it's UNWISE to spend money we don't have. And he doesn't have to be a Constitutional Scholar to see that forcing us to buy an insurance product is illegal.

Obamacare is a fail because even the most brazen of elected officials knows where his bread is buttered. It's been crystal clear that solving the problems associated with healthcare was just a feint for a power-grab, so clear in fact, that Mr. Man-on-the-Street couldn't miss it.

This Congress messed up because it didn't address the problem with HONESTY. Instead of laying out their case for "single-payer" and seeking a Constitutional Amendment for it, the only legal means through which it could be implemented... they've tried to back-door it in. They've been caught 'smuggling' and the people no longer trust them.

If they want to have the "single-payer" debate... then by all means, let's have it. But they will NOT get away with simply ramming some Socialist Crap down our throats. And they know it.

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

Why should they be advertising products that the consumer does not have the ability to purchase on their own without another individual (a doctor) authorizing them to have it?

Why are the Feds spending YOUR money advertising a plan, that nobody can explain, and the majority of Americans don't support? Why are they spending YOUR money flying all over Europe? Why are they spending YOUR money on rackets like ACORN?

Your outrage is misdirected.

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

And... if this idea is SOOOOOOOOOOOO great, why has Congress explicitely EXEMPTED THEMSELVES from it?

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

Pull thy head from thine ass please.

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

I guess healthcare reform's great for us common fucks, but not so much for our elite memebers of Congress. WAKE UP!!!!!

 

[VaYank5150]

You Obamabots have been FUCKED. F U C K E D fucked!!!!!!!

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!! And you're too stupid to realize it! HA HA HA HA !!!!!!

Why does anyone even bother ATTEMPTING to have honest and open debate on these boards, when you have asshats like this disrupting the entire process?

 

[Samson]

We (the majority of voters R's, D's and I's) put Obama into office in hopes of changing the way Washington works. ...I blame ALL of us. WE put these people (Congress) into office to work for and represent us.


<climbs down from soap box>

I voted a straight Libertarian ballot in 2008.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Conservative are going to take over from here, we'll fix what Dems and Republican have fucked up for too long

 

[rdean]

Reality check, there are no foreign made drugs. Almost all medication that is worth taking was developed HERE. Canada blackmails the US to get cheaper drugs, all we would be doing is cheating our own companies and our Government if we "bought" drugs from Canada. Not to mention the Drug Companies would cease making the deals they make with these Foreign Countries if we did.

It costs MONEY to research test and develop new drugs. The Companies that do that have x amount of time to recoup those costs with a patent system. Canada and other Countries threaten to ignore the patent and illegally make the drugs that cost them NOTHING to be developed if the Companies do not sell them to them cheaper.

There simply are NO cheap drugs anywhere during the patent time.

Want to dry up new drug testing and creation, continue with this ignorance.

Further the center piece of Obama's campaign was NOT health care. Nice red herring.

Lets hope the health care bill dies a needed death. the sooner the better.

The Truth About the Drug Companies - The New York Review of Books

First, research and development (R&D) is a relatively small part of the budgets of the big drug companies—dwarfed by their vast expenditures on marketing and administration, and smaller even than profits.

-----------------

Do some research and you will find that most money is spend on advertisement. That's a fact.

 

[rdean]

Conservative are going to take over from here, we'll fix what Dems and Republican have fucked up for too long

Denial isn't just a river in Egypt. Republicant's ARE the conservatiods.

 

[Claudette]

We (the majority of voters R's, D's and I's) put Obama into office in hopes of changing the way Washington works. The centerpiece of his campaign? Healthcare reform. While almost none of us can agree on exactly HOW to do it, the majority of us agree that reform would be a good thing. Based on how things are now looking, the best possible option for a bill will be so watered down, that it will not be worth the price tag.
I blame ALL of us. WE put these people (Congress) into office to work for and represent us. Instead, they are STILL catering to special interest groups and those who line their pockets during election time. The move to disallow importation of foreign made drugs was the last straw. Obama campaigned strongly on allowing this to happen as it could save American citizens upwards of $100,000,000.00 annually. Obama folded as did a majority of Congress.
IF our elected officials are only going to do what the private sector wants, can someone explain to me why we need a public entity government in the first place? Why not simply follow the premise of "War, Inc.". I believe we are closer to that already than even I care to admit.

<climbs down from soap box>

The average man-on-the-street doesn't have to be politically savvy to understand that it's UNWISE to spend money we don't have. And he doesn't have to be a Constitutional Scholar to see that forcing us to buy an insurance product is illegal.

Obamacare is a fail because even the most brazen of elected officials knows where his bread is buttered. It's been crystal clear that solving the problems associated with healthcare was just a feint for a power-grab, so clear in fact, that Mr. Man-on-the-Street couldn't miss it.

This Congress messed up because it didn't address the problem with HONESTY. Instead of laying out their case for "single-payer" and seeking a Constitutional Amendment for it, the only legal means through which it could be implemented... they've tried to back-door it in. They've been caught 'smuggling' and the people no longer trust them.

If they want to have the "single-payer" debate... then by all means, let's have it. But they will NOT get away with simply ramming some Socialist Crap down our throats. And they know it.

Couldn't agree more.

 

[uscitizen]

"Reality check, there are no foreign made drugs."

WRONG.


just one instance.

Thursday, February 21, 2008
Heparin Made Out of Pigs from Elsewhere

Last week, we discussed what was known about the sudden increase in the frequency and severity of adverse effects due to heparin, an anti-clotting drug that has been in use for more than 7o years. The heparin all carried the Baxter International label, but its "active ingredient," that is, the heparin itself, was purchased from Scientific Protein Laboratories LLC, which in turn obtained it from a factory in China operated by Changzhou SPL, which in turn was owned by Scientific Protein Laboratories and by Changzhou Techpool Pharmaceutical Co. Furthermore, it turns out that the factory was never inspected by either the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or its Chinese counterpart.

First, the Wall Street Journal reported how heparin is made in China.


In a small, damp factory here [in Yuanlou, China], blood-smeared men wring pulp from pig intestines, then heat it in concrete vats.

The activity at Yuan Intestine & Casing Factory is the first step in the poorly regulated process of making raw heparin, the main ingredient in a type of blood-thinning medicine that in recent days has come under suspicion in the deaths of four Americans.

More than half the world's heparin comes from China. The chemical is often extracted from pig entrails in small factories -- many as rudimentary as this one, which also manufactures sausage casings from intestines.

Heparin goes through extensive processing in its journey from abattoir to IV bag. Nevertheless, because some of it originates in tiny Chinese factories like these, if there's a problem with the final medication, it can be nearly impossible to trace the raw heparin back to the source, the pigs whose tissue was used to make it.

Heparin makers in China readily acknowledge the lack of oversight. Yuan Changkun, the owner of the small factory here, says health regulators don't visit his plant. Mr. Yuan doesn't keep records of where he acquires the intestines he uses. Nor is he sure who the end customers are.

The raw heparin made by China's myriad small producers ends up in the hands of about 50 export companies, which sell to customers overseas. In the first half of last year, more than 85% of these heparin exports went to the U.S., Austria, France, Italy and Germany, according to an industry trade group.


In fact, although Scientific Protein Laboratory did not get the heparin it sold to Baxter International from Yuan Changkun, it appears that the management of SPL did not know much about the heparin it supplied.



David Strunce, the president of Scientific Protein Laboratories, Baxter's main supplier of heparin, says that the Yuan Intestine & Casing Factory isn't in his company's supply chain. He says Scientific Protein can't trace its supplies in China in as much detail as it can in the U.S. 'We're all dealing with the China collection system,' Mr. Strunce says.


In fact, Changzhou SPL actually was not the source of the heparin that eventually got the Baxter International label. Changzhou SPL, in turn, got the heparin from a number of wholesalers who in turn, got it from a number of smaller, unnamed factories.



Scientific Protein's Mr. Strunce says his company's China venture, Changzhou SPL, gets raw heparin from two wholesalers who gather it from 'six to 12' workshops. 'You can have better, or less good, workshops, Mr. Strunce says.



So to recap so far, Baxter International got the heparin that it sold under its label from SPL, which got the heparin from Changzhou SPL in China, which got the heparin from several wholesalers, which got the heparin from numerous, unnamed small factories. Apparently at none of the steps along the way in China was the heparin subject to any inspection or regulation by the US FDA or its Chinese counterpart.


http://http://hcrenewal.blogspot.com/2008/02/heparin-made-out-of-pigs-from-elsewhere.html