[citation][nom]screw_american_pharma[/nom]To all of the pro-Pharma dummies:They are taking chemicals that exist in nature, augmenting them in the most minor of ways, and that is what is being patented. A molecule, an INVENTION of the UNIVERSE, they only DISCOVER it, or they just discover a known molecule's purpose as a medicine.Then they are also doing the legwork to figure out that it can be a medicine, and then testing it as such through the standard regulate process. Now, some profit motive is necessary, but should health care be 25% of the US economy like it is now? That is, 1 out of every 4 US dollars is spent on health care. It's not that way because Americans are just that sickly of a bunch, it's that much because BIG PHARMA, INSURANCE COMPANIES AND HOSPITALS ARE ALLOWED TO CHARGE WAY TOO MUCH FOR SERVICES A TRAINED MONKEY COULD PROVIDE.Case in point: I'm a software developer. I make about $2000 (before taxes) in a 40 hour week. I recently had to make a trip to the emergency room for an infection that quickly spread to my blood, requiring antibiotics. The bastards charged me over $1400 for 15 minutes of being seen by a doctor, and a combined 45 minutes with the nurse and receptionist(plus 2 hours of sitting around their facility in between seeing those people), and all they did was administer some inexpensive antibiotics. They were just lackeys at that, not the reknowned brain surgeon of excellence, and not the hospital chairman.If you seriously think they deserved an entire week of my above-average pay for something so trivial, I invite you to put down the crack pipe. That's why 1/4 US dollars spent is on health care, because they are ripping everybody off. Don't blame the people who are smart enough not to pay either, the medical industrial complex makes billions in profit, that argument only holds water if the medical industry wasn't insanely profitable.[/citation]
Hey, it is you(r) american rightwing nuts that opt out of general regulated healthcare, you rank as a 3rd world country because of that.. so dont complain about the medical industry, complain about your mediocre healthcare system..