Tannishblog

Thanksgiving dinner wound down last night, and conversation resumed. A comment was made about cigarette smokers and soon we began discussing the ways various municipalities were using laws to curb smoking in public places. The overall tone was of acceptance. We are all non-smokers.

I piped up in my usual devil’s advocate, buck the trend style, that as a former puffer, I felt the trend was discriminatory. Americans are free to kill themselves if that’s what they want. The rebuttal (weak, I thought) was of the dangers second-hand smoke. Being the host, I felt unusual restraint and let the conversation turn. What I wanted to point out is how free non-smokers are to not frequent establishments that smokers prefer, to not associate with others who smoke if the habit is bothersome.

I wanted to point out that Americans need to get back to a culture of acceptance, inclusiveness and compassion of others. We’ve lost whatever meager gains we’ve made over the past fifty years toward a society modeled after a core belief in religious freedoms and the attendant mentality of acceptance of diversity. (Placeholder for deleted political dig.) As a Buddhist, I feel we need to remember the teachings of our founders during this weekend of National Pride.

Remember the "Great Melting Pot ™?" I’ve often quipped it’s more like a chunky stew, but lately it seems more like and oil-and-water mix. We need to get back to basics, get back to a compassionate, people-centric world of open minds, open hearts, and the understanding that others will do what we wish they wouldn’t - and that’s alright, too.

What do pharmaceutical companies have against Americans? I ask this after reading a NY Times article highlighting the battle footing and lobbyist purchasing going on by drug companies in preparation for the anticipated attempt at rolling back the 2003 Medicare law. That’s the one the Republicans let drug companies dictate wherein the government isn’t allowed to shop as any consumer would and bargain for low prices on drugs for Medicare patients.

Drug makers have not set a budget for their campaign. They and their trade groups already spend some $100 million a year on lobbying in Washington.

“We have new political realities to attend to,” Mr. Tauzin said in an interview after the board meeting. “We and our allies will do everything we can to defend the Medicare drug benefit, to get out the message that it is working.”

How many people would be served by that same amount of money? One one hand, that’s chump change for the industry, on the other, people most likely to need affordable government-assisted health care, could be expected to earn much less than that over their entire working careers. It seems altruism, a possible side effect of providing new technology to the medical industry, is poor business. In America, I remind you, business is paramount.

There will be a fight. Many Democrats have run and won on the topic of out of this world health care costs.

But Representative Frank Pallone Jr., Democrat of New Jersey, who hopes to head the health subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee, said price negotiations for Medicare were his priority.

“The 2003 Medicare law was essentially written by the drug industry,” Mr. Pallone said in an interview. “That’s why you don’t have negotiated prices. Republican policies have served special interests like the pharmaceutical industry, and the American taxpayer is paying the price.”

Never mind the fact that if enough poor Americans die from lack of affordable medicine, their profits would suffer some. Did I say that? Then there is the Karmic angle:

Drug lobbyists say they want to work with the new Democratic majority, but that will not be easy. In its campaign contributions, the pharmaceutical industry has overwhelmingly favored Republicans over Democrats. Drug companies infuriated many Democrats in 2003, when they worked closely with Republicans to create the Medicare drug benefit, in a process from which Democrats were largely excluded.

Just another example of a money-first philosophy as exemplified by Republican thinkers. The All-mighty they sometimes refer to is not found in heaven, it is the Almighty Dollar they worship.