Coming February 6, 2024 . . .
MURDER, POLITICS, AND THE END OF THE JAZZ AGE
by Michael Wolraich
Pre-order at Barnes & Noble / Amazon / Books-A-Million / Bookshop
Coming February 6, 2024 . . . MURDER, POLITICS, AND THE END OF THE JAZZ AGE by Michael Wolraich Pre-order at Barnes & Noble / Amazon / Books-A-Million / Bookshop |
On drug prices: "So we will need to fight together to get Americans the medications they need at prices they can afford. If the president meant what he said during the campaign, he will join me in this fight."...Bernie. Trump never means what he says, he is a lunatic, stop it. Trump is denying residents their rights, ginning up a war, where doesn't matter, and alienating our allies. He is a lunatic demagogue out to destroy our democracy. The GOP is currently destroying the Affordable Care Act, and if you can't afford a doctor visit, the cost of drugs is not too relevant.
Comments
So far, not so good.
by barefooted on Thu, 02/02/2017 - 10:44pm
Trump went with the $wamp and didn't Feel the Bern?
I am shocked. Thanks for the link!
by NCD on Thu, 02/02/2017 - 11:11pm
So U.S.A. users will continue to pay the highest prices for new drugs so that the rest of the world can get them cheaper. Strange way to do "USA #1". On second thought, I guess not so strange for someone who thinks that a tariff on Mexican imports will be paid by Mexico. Still, shocking that someone who has built internationally does not get that if you remove yourself from negotiations with the startup drug company, you pay the highest price, because everyone else in the world is going to negotiate. Why doesn't he get it that drugs are an international market whether he likes it or not?
by artappraiser on Fri, 02/03/2017 - 2:14am
PSSST: he gets it. When he met with Big Pharma lobbyists they just flattered him and got their way.
by CVille Dem on Fri, 02/03/2017 - 8:48am
By not permitting drug imports from Canada, we are helping multi-national drug corporations screw American consumers. There is no benefit to American workers that results from this policy since many of the drugs that we would import are actually manufactured here. The only reason that they're cheaper in Canada is because the Canadian government, unlike ours, negotiates with Merck, Pfizer, et al.
By engaging in "free trade," we are also helping multi-national corporations screw Americans by opening up our market to goods and commodities manufactured by workers paid 1/20th what American workers earn. There is a slight benefit to consumers since the imports can be sold at a cheaper price than American-made goods. But most of the labor savings are vacuumed up by the owners and top managers of integrated corporations that manufacture overseas, import, and then sell here. In the end, "free trade," as currently practiced, impoverishes America, for two reasons: 1) much of our wealth is exported and 2) the consumption of lower and middle-level employees - who spend a far higher percentage of their income than top executives and owners - is reduced.
Thus, there is nothing paradoxical or inherently contradictory about calling for importation of drugs from Canada and tariffs on products manufactured in and services originating from Latin America and east Asia.
by HSG on Fri, 02/03/2017 - 9:22am
Yes but Bernie displays a naive and witless disposition once again in the fantasy that Trump or Republicans will 'work with him' to help the little guy. As if Bernie and progressives were sentenced to depend on the grace of a madman.
by NCD on Fri, 02/03/2017 - 10:25am
Trump is running a reality show format. He creates conflict to keep us glued to the screen.
http://www.npr.org/2017/02/03/513194862/with-conflict-and-drama-trump-ho...
He and his minions float lies as truth. He is reviewing Dodd-Frank and removing obligations financial institutions have to act in the best interests of their clients. Thai is Donald "Goldman Sachs" Trump. We cannot expect Trump to act in the interest of the majority of the population. Trump cannot be taken at his word. The idea of "working with" Trump is nonsense. The best thing to do is to lay out what a Democrats think are important in dealing with Big Pharma, and then point out how Trump's plan fails. Never say that you are "working with" Trump, tell us how you will correct Trump's errors.
Trump creates drama to deflect attention from the fact that he is acting as a useful idiot for Putin. He also deflects attention from the recent lawsuit settlement of $6M. This comes after his Trump University settlement of $25M. Trump has us talking about "Celebrity Apprentice" instead of the Ukraine. Donald and Arnold are just like boxers jousting verbally to increase the viewership for the main event.
Trump is never going to do the right thing. Operating from that reality will help us focus on the important things. When Trump diverts to Chicago, we need to ask what he is doing about the Republican Governor poising Flint since Trump cares oh so deeply about black people.
by rmrd0000 on Fri, 02/03/2017 - 11:08am
Yes...good points.
It turns out Trump, Bannon and Jared approved dropping Seal Team 6 'down the barrel of a cannon' between courses at dinner. Not with intelligence guys and not in the situation room. 2 real estate swindlers and a delusional racist.
by NCD on Fri, 02/03/2017 - 12:28pm
Obama had to throw Reverend Jeremiah Wright under the bus to satisfy the media. Steve Bannon is a white supremacist and the media is too timid to call him out or at least that Trump clarify where Bannon stands on Blacks, Jews, etc. Trump didn't even mention the word "Jew" on Holocaust Remembrance Day. These folks are scary.
The Republican Congress is not investigating Trump's ties to Russia, his financial conflicts, or what went wrong in the Seal Team 6 attack. Democrats and Progressives are the only ones asking these questions. We are the only true patriots.
by rmrd0000 on Fri, 02/03/2017 - 12:38pm
I noticed he did go to honor the remains so hopefully he has remorse for any flippancy involved with his decision.
I actually came to notice that in a roundabout way that is a totally separate topic, a "girl news" thing. He went to that with Ivanka. Was reading about Melania being way behind the usual schedule with the first lady office startup and not wanting to be in D.C. and some articles were suggesting that she may never be around and that Ivanka was going to fill the first lady duties, as with this function. It was causing all kinds of trouble with White House planning and protocol. But it turns out just recently she directed the hiring of a slew of people to run her office, professional types, and a decorator for the private quarters, Apparently she's gonna eventually be around, just take her own damn time doing it.
Edit to add: New Yorkers who visit midtown regularly wish she would get moving and move permanently with Bannon in tow. Just for traffic tie-up issues.
by artappraiser on Fri, 02/03/2017 - 2:09pm
Since Bannon's already there, maybe she'll take Barron instead. ;-)
by barefooted on Fri, 02/03/2017 - 2:31pm
oops excuse my Freudian slip vis a vis both of them being in need of adult supervision
by artappraiser on Fri, 02/03/2017 - 3:42pm
Trump will never have remorse for anything he has done, or the consequences to others. If he has remorse, it'll be he didn't go far enough in exercising his power, and proving how smart and popular he believes he is with alt-facts.
A malignant narcissists world revolves around themselves.
by NCD on Fri, 02/03/2017 - 3:50pm
I trust Andrew Exum @ The Atlantic on the botched raid, just saw now that he has chimed in. I read him a lot during the Iraq war when he blogged anonymously on military efforts against all the insurgencies as Abu Muqawama. Seemed while anonymous to all to be a military strategist and historian and also against the Iraq invasion. Just learned now that he spent a year (2015-16) as Deputy Asst. Sec. Defense for Mideast Policy under Obama.
He no Trump fan but says it's important not to blame Trump for approving it:
Don't Politicize the Failed Yemen Raid
America cannot punish its elected officials for allowing its military, diplomatic corps, and intelligence services to take risks necessary to pursue its interests.
by artappraiser on Fri, 02/03/2017 - 5:51pm
Yes, can punish crooked prez.
More fake news/alternate facts.
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/yemen-raid-video-old-234619
by PeraclesPlease on Fri, 02/03/2017 - 6:09pm
Exum is pushing a narrative that others disagree with. No one knows the deliberations that occurred behind closed doors. Some suggest that the unusual nature of military sources claiming that, " Trump approved his first covert counterterrorism operation without sufficient intelligence, ground support, or adequate backup preparations” suggests that they were pushed to approve a raid they weren't ready for or perhaps even advised against. I'm not taking a side on this because, again, we just don't know. But it is rare for the military to point the finger of blame at the president for a botched raid.
by ocean-kat on Fri, 02/03/2017 - 7:04pm
Trying to be fair here - the White House and practically every agency in the federal government is leaking like a sieve right now, but the majority of it is from anonymous sources. The level of anti-Trump "information" is astounding; even leading some well respected journalists to wonder if they're being played. At this point, don't we all wonder that? So "military sources claiming" may not equal legitimate concerns within the Pentagon, CentCom and elsewhere. Raids often go wrong and people die. It's part of the horrible process.
What I find truly atrocious is that Trump seems to be telling the agency heads involved to make nonsensical claims and post outdated videos to pump up the "success" of the raid - in which a Navy SEAL died and others were wounded, along with civilian men, women and children who reportedly lost their lives. It's just nausea inspiring to watch the administration turn it into a Conway spin job.
by barefooted on Fri, 02/03/2017 - 7:51pm
I object to "trying to be fair" - a luxury we no longer have. They comport as the enemy, treat us as the enemy, respond as the enemy.
Only question: how do we use this situation to our real long-lasting advantahe?
by PeraclesPlease on Sat, 02/04/2017 - 2:28am
If you can't beat 'em, join 'em?
by barefooted on Sat, 02/04/2017 - 12:48pm
Huh?
If the Seal team was the ambassador to Yemen and his people, if the terrorist base was the US consulate office, if Trump was Secretary of State, and if Democrats controlled Congress and ran 3 or 4 investigations for 4 years trying and failing to tie Trump to the decisions that the courageous ambassador made that led to tragedy, yes, it would be 'joining 'em'.
by NCD on Sat, 02/04/2017 - 2:00pm
They comport as the enemy, treat us as the enemy, respond as the enemy.
That was the remark to which I, albeit flippantly, responded. I have to admit that beyond that I'm not exactly sure what you're getting at ... but then again, I'm often easily confused. ;-)
by barefooted on Sat, 02/04/2017 - 9:15pm
Trump considers those who disagrees with him as his enemies. Given that a white supremacist is a senior advisor and Beauregard Sessions is his AG, blacks are on edge. Their was no confusion for me.
by rmrd0000 on Sat, 02/04/2017 - 9:28pm
No, rm, I'm not confused about what you're saying at all. Nor is there disagreement.
by barefooted on Sat, 02/04/2017 - 9:38pm
No, you don't have to act pig ignorant or like a loon - simply be aware what you're dealing with. To resist and fight back is the opposite of lying down with the pigs.
by PeraclesPlease on Sun, 02/05/2017 - 1:44am
We need people telling us what is going on in our government, especially when Americans die.
Trump amd his administration surely are not going to tell us the truth.
We need less Exums giving us opinions, and distracting us with arguments, on who or what to blame or how we should react to events.
The nation is saturated with TeeVee and columnist pundits and grifters whose paychecks depend on endless bullshit.
Far too many of whom have never been worth a damn, not concentrating on or informing the people of the big picture we need to know. (emails was not the big picture for instance)
We need the facts, and efforts to assign blame is an initial step to get to the truth of how things happened, and who was at fault for any given fateful decision.
by NCD on Fri, 02/03/2017 - 8:54pm