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Saturday, March 5, 2022
Trump Was Right Again: The U.S. Subsidizes Europeans’ Healthcare and Defense
And Joe Biden’s State of the Union pitch to lower drug prices won’t change that.
It took Russia’s naked aggression against Ukraine for Germany to admit that Donald Trump was right all along: Europe needs to stop relying on U.S. subsidies and spend more on its own defense.
In a stunning policy reversal, Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that Germany would do what Trump was long urging and commit at least two percent of GDP to defense spending.
That the United States has been subsidizing Europe’s defense is well known, thanks mainly to Trump’s harping on it. Another thing Trump thundered about, correctly, is that the United States also subsidizes Europe’s socialized healthcare. Pharmaceutical companies rely upon sky-high U.S. drug prices to render economically viable their ability to sell drugs in other countries. The United States thereby subsidizes socialized healthcare in the rest of the world, especially in the wealthiest European countries.
Here’s how and why—and why Joe Biden’s State of the Union pledge to lower drug prices is dead on arrival.
Drug development is expensive. To defray costs and turn a profit, most pharma companies rely upon the holy trinity of drug approval: The United States, Western Europe, and Japan—usually in that order, for compelling economic reasons.
Why that order? The United States is nearly always first because the highest prices can be obtained there. Through their “market access” functions, pharma companies negotiate prices with the “payers”: large healthcare organizations, hospital systems and insurers. These discussions often involve byzantine structures of rebates and third parties known as pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). But the main goal is always the same: to convince the payers to accept the highest price possible for U.S. sales.
The Trump Administration briefly tried to enact “most-favored nation” status for the United States, under which American prices could be no higher than the lowest approved prices elsewhere. That proposal went nowhere fast. The same will happen with Biden’s State of the Union pledge to “let Medicare negotiate lower prices for prescription drugs.” Pharma companies donate a lot to politicians of both parties. Therefore, neither “most-favored nation” nor negotiated Medicare prices will happen.
The pharma companies have no interest in changing the status quo, as their business models explicitly depend on high U.S. prices. Without being propped up by American consumers and taxpayers, the economic viability of selling drugs in Europe and beyond nosedives. The European health authorities, on behalf of their largely single-payer systems, know they have the upper hand with the drug companies, as everyone acknowledges that high U.S. prices are intended to subsidize lower prices in Europe. This, of course, props up their socialized medicine schemes by...
In a stunning policy reversal, Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that Germany would do what Trump was long urging and commit at least two percent of GDP to defense spending.
That the United States has been subsidizing Europe’s defense is well known, thanks mainly to Trump’s harping on it. Another thing Trump thundered about, correctly, is that the United States also subsidizes Europe’s socialized healthcare. Pharmaceutical companies rely upon sky-high U.S. drug prices to render economically viable their ability to sell drugs in other countries. The United States thereby subsidizes socialized healthcare in the rest of the world, especially in the wealthiest European countries.
Here’s how and why—and why Joe Biden’s State of the Union pledge to lower drug prices is dead on arrival.
Drug development is expensive. To defray costs and turn a profit, most pharma companies rely upon the holy trinity of drug approval: The United States, Western Europe, and Japan—usually in that order, for compelling economic reasons.
Why that order? The United States is nearly always first because the highest prices can be obtained there. Through their “market access” functions, pharma companies negotiate prices with the “payers”: large healthcare organizations, hospital systems and insurers. These discussions often involve byzantine structures of rebates and third parties known as pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). But the main goal is always the same: to convince the payers to accept the highest price possible for U.S. sales.
The Trump Administration briefly tried to enact “most-favored nation” status for the United States, under which American prices could be no higher than the lowest approved prices elsewhere. That proposal went nowhere fast. The same will happen with Biden’s State of the Union pledge to “let Medicare negotiate lower prices for prescription drugs.” Pharma companies donate a lot to politicians of both parties. Therefore, neither “most-favored nation” nor negotiated Medicare prices will happen.
The pharma companies have no interest in changing the status quo, as their business models explicitly depend on high U.S. prices. Without being propped up by American consumers and taxpayers, the economic viability of selling drugs in Europe and beyond nosedives. The European health authorities, on behalf of their largely single-payer systems, know they have the upper hand with the drug companies, as everyone acknowledges that high U.S. prices are intended to subsidize lower prices in Europe. This, of course, props up their socialized medicine schemes by...
Twitter Blows Up After Shocking Match of Suspect Sketch for Madeleine McCann Disappearance with Ghislaine Maxwell
Those theories posit that Maxwell may have been involved in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.
According to BBC News, McCann went missing from a holiday apartment in Praia de Luz, Portugal, on May 3, 2007, shortly before her fourth birthday.
Despite her case being one of the most heavily reported on at the time, her whereabouts continue to remain unknown.
The more recent internet theories have linked Maxwell to the disappearance because a sketch of one of the suspects in the case looks eerily similar to Maxwell.
Although at this point the Maxwell-McCann connection is a conspiracy theory at best, given the current crimes levied against her, it would be no surprise to learn she was connected to another missing-persons case involving a little girl.
During Maxwell’s trial, one of her accusers — identified as “Jane” — gave graphic accounts of the abuse she allegedly suffered at the hands of both Epstein and Maxwell.
Jane was only 14 years old at the time the abuse started.
Also, according to Jane, Maxwell didn’t just groom her for abuse — she also participated in the abuse herself.
“I was abused pretty much every time that I would go over to his house, and it all started to seem the same after a while — whether it was just him or there were other women involved, or me and Jeffrey and Ghislaine, it all started to seem the same,” Jane testified.
“After a while, you just become numb to it.”
Maxwell was eventually convicted on five of six charges related to her reported complicity in the many sex crimes committed by notorious financier Jeffrey Epstein, who is now dead, but her case is now under review for a potential mistrial after a juror revealed he had previously been sexually assaulted as a child.
The McCann suspect sketch wasn’t the only eerie connection linking Maxwell to an old missing-persons case.
Another viral photo that reemerged on social media in December depicts someone who looks like Maxwell in a picture with JonBenét Ramsey, a child beauty queen who was found murdered in her Colorado home on Christmas Day 1996.
Even if these Maxwell connections turn out to be...
During Maxwell’s trial, one of her accusers — identified as “Jane” — gave graphic accounts of the abuse she allegedly suffered at the hands of both Epstein and Maxwell.
Jane was only 14 years old at the time the abuse started.
Also, according to Jane, Maxwell didn’t just groom her for abuse — she also participated in the abuse herself.
“I was abused pretty much every time that I would go over to his house, and it all started to seem the same after a while — whether it was just him or there were other women involved, or me and Jeffrey and Ghislaine, it all started to seem the same,” Jane testified.
“After a while, you just become numb to it.”
Maxwell was eventually convicted on five of six charges related to her reported complicity in the many sex crimes committed by notorious financier Jeffrey Epstein, who is now dead, but her case is now under review for a potential mistrial after a juror revealed he had previously been sexually assaulted as a child.
The McCann suspect sketch wasn’t the only eerie connection linking Maxwell to an old missing-persons case.
Another viral photo that reemerged on social media in December depicts someone who looks like Maxwell in a picture with JonBenét Ramsey, a child beauty queen who was found murdered in her Colorado home on Christmas Day 1996.
Even if these Maxwell connections turn out to be...
Biden has denied, slow-walked arms to Kyiv
There is a behind-the-scenes story to President Biden’s sudden announcement Saturday of more arms for Ukraine as Vladimir Putin tries to swallow up the former Russian possession.
For weeks, the White House National Security Council and Pentagon have been “slow-rolling” Kyiv’s long-standing request for more weapons as Russian President Putin deployed a massive troop buildup, a congressional source told me. The Biden team did not want to “escalate” — meaning they were intimidated by the Russian president.
“DOD and NSC lawyers are slow-rolling the re-supply of weapons to Ukraine, Poland and the Baltics over concerns it will draw the United States into the war,” the source said. “The Baltic nations need more Stingers and Javelins to replenish their inventory which was depleted by transfers to Ukraine.”
Stingers are the shoulder-mounted heat-seeking anti-aircraft missiles that sent Soviet troops retreating from Afghanistan. Javelins are the U.S. Army’s top anti-tank weapon. President Trump made the first-time shipments to Ukraine. The Baltic states have sent U.S. Stingers.
In January, the administration briefed House members that sending Stingers “might escalate the situation,” the source said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, flak jacket in place, is defying the Russian strongman and his huge approaching army by staying put. He rejected an offer by Biden aides to spirit him to safety.
“I need ammunition, not a ride,” he said.
The brave president underscores what the congressional source is telling me: The Biden team has been too slow to beef up Ukraine even as Mr. Biden repeatedly served as a crisis broadcaster of a sure invasion.
The irony of the sudden rush to send arms by Mr. Biden now that Mr. Putin has invaded was not lost on Richard Grenell, President Trump’s former top...
The 90 Miles Mystery Video: Nyctophilia Edition #948
Before You Click On The "Read More" Link,
Please Only Do So If You Are Over 21 Years Old.
If You are Easily Upset, Triggered Or Offended, This Is Not The Place For You.
Please Leave Silently Into The Night......
The 90 Miles Mystery Box: Episode #1648
You have come across a mystery box. But what is inside?
It could be literally anything from the serene to the horrific,
from the beautiful to the repugnant,
from the mysterious to the familiar.
If you decide to open it, you could be disappointed,
you could be inspired, you could be appalled.
This is not for the faint of heart or the easily offended.
You have been warned.
Friday, March 4, 2022
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