I did read an interesting piece on how the Japanese have such a tight stranglehold on the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries they basically set the price of all drugs and care, and hospitals are required to be run completely by actual doctors not corporations. Something like that. It seemed pretty sweet.
But then I thought, don’t they also have the advantage of benefitting from medical breakthroughs made by other countries’ drug companies? And what incentive would those companies have to innovate or do anything other than the bare minimum when their profits are fixed? I haven’t done any in depth research about this, just something I was thinking. Maybe altruism is a factor in the healthcare industry too, but I’m pretty sure the main driving force is profit
Imagine living your life being scared of your taxes that you're already being taxed going to help people.
Whatever.
I get it. Like there is a stupid bitch that lives in my apt and has 4 kids and all day I just hear her scream at the kids. And I've never seen the mom work a day in her life. That does bother me. I really really really want to punch her in the face.
But at the end of the day I love people. Ok? And so... whatever. What do you want that's so much ficking better ???? Huh?
These are kids. This is why abortion should be supported. This is why the memes that show how Republicans love kids until they're born are real and accurate. Take my money to help these stupid ass kids that didnt want to ever be born.
Originally posted by aldra
it can still be driven by profit and be in the public good so long as it doesn't go into obscene 'intellectual property' exploitation territory
I always thought it was crazy how people can own an idea. I mean I get branding, and creative works, and shit like that. But the fact that you can file a patent and OWN a chemical synthesis, or a manufacturing process is fuckin weird
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Originally posted by Fox
I always thought it was crazy how people can own an idea. I mean I get branding, and creative works, and shit like that. But the fact that you can file a patent and OWN a chemical synthesis, or a manufacturing process is fuckin weird
it's absurd. especially so how companies can trademark a vague idea, then sue for royalties when someone else *independently* comes up with a working/saleable solution.
I specifically read about a group of serial 'copyright trolls' who register these vague patents, one example being a VOIP system with a server and controller or some shit. Their patent is literally just a flowchart of a phone call going into a system, to a server and then to a phone. And they use that in order to bully VOIP companies into paying them royalties in the hope that they'll cave for fear of legal costs. I'll see if I can find the link
Originally posted by MexicanMasterRace
Suzie is a poor teenager. She is sexually active and gets free condoms and STD testing from planned parenthood.
Then the planned parenthood in her area shut down. Now Suzie has to buy condoms at the store and cant afford STD testing thanks to being a poor teenager with no insurance.
One day Suzie's tire gets a flat. She has to borrow money to replace it and now cant afford condoms. She is young and figures pulling out a few times isnt so risky. Then she gets pregnant.
Suzie wants an abortion but cant because Republicans. She knows she cant afford a kid. Should've listened to her friend Jane when she warned her about pulling out. Jane went to school in California so she got a proper sex education that warned her about pulling out.
Suzie has the kid. It turns out to have hep c. Suzie had it all along but didnt know because she didnt get tested.
Now Suzie has to get the baby treated. But she cant because she has no insurance. She goes anyway and accrues medical debt for her sons sake.
Now the kid is growing up poor and unwanted through no fault of its own, and Suzie is forced to raise a kid she doesnt want. Eventually they become homeless, and the kid gets taken by the state. She talks to someone online from the UK who had a similar situation but got help with housing and was able to keep her kid and avoid being homeless.
The kid grows up. He wants to go to college but cant afford to. He wishes he could get a scholarship but never got high enough grades due to his poor education. Republicans blame people like him for being welfare suckers. He just wishes he was never born.
All of this could've been prevented with proper sex education, accessible medical care, and a proper welfare system. All stuff the Republicans are hell bent on denying people.
Correction
"All this could've been prevented if Suzie had personal responsibility".
(btw, Suzie was educated under the Obama administration)
There's really only one party. When they want to fuck the public over, they conveniently all come together non-partisanly. It's all a scam. Just a show for the born idiots. Controlled "opposition", merely for stage and theater. It's really US vs Them. That's the way it's always been.