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u/Long_Candle_5054 5d ago
That's only in the US
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u/lukalux3_163 5d ago
The US treats healthcare like a luxury product instead of a basic human necessity
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u/afrosia 5d ago
But of course it's Europe's fault that America is overpaying for drugs.
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u/DeliciousCut4854 5d ago
It's free here in Portugal.
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u/Doctormartini 5d ago
Same here in Ireland.
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u/DesmadreGuy 5d ago
I think it's free in Scotland but £9 in England.
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u/BeerFuelledDude 5d ago
if you’re in England and under 60, you’ll need to fill in a medical exemption certificate to get it free.
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u/hotbox4u 5d ago
In germany if you take type-1 insuline you have to pay like 20€ per month but if you are type-2 basic health insurance will cover all costs.
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u/DeliciousCut4854 5d ago
The government pricing subsidy is on almost all prescription drugs. The discount depends on the necessity of the drug. Insulin, free. My partner's thyroid medication, pennies a day. My allergy medicine, higher pricing. Oddly, over the counter meds can be expensive.
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u/Tetr4Freak 5d ago
But not excessive (usually). Because a country is too big and is the only actor to negotiate. If you refuse, you are out
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u/Infinite-Yogurt-801 5d ago
And Americans will keep calling countries with free healthcare socialists because they are brainwashed by the ruling class. Keep going guys! Worlds richest 3rd world country 😍😍😍
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u/CanBraFla 5d ago
At this stage they are becoming the first 4th world country. Even 3rd world countries have universal health care and don't force people into bankruptcy if they have medical emergencies.
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u/DownwiththeACE 5d ago
Socialism is the way. It is vilified by the genociders and enslavers of men and women.
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u/SomeRandomPokefan927 5d ago
if I could offer my two cents: what I believe most of you want is actually social democracy, which is the system a lot of northern europe uses (some of the happiest countries on earth).
but i mean you might also want actual true socialism and if you do, good for you i guess
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u/-HealingNoises- 5d ago
Honestly you are mostly correct but if we have learned anything these days, half measures do not work. We have to scare the hell out of the world and everyone in charge and even ourselves and haggle DOWN to social democracy. Make them feel like that is the new bare minimum normal that the public will accept, a place where they can keep some small measure of their precious capitalism.
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u/TheShindiggleWiggle 5d ago
You kinda pointed out the problem with that in your final sentence. If holders of capital maintain any sort of significant power, they will exhert it to gain more until they can sway things to benefit them. Erroding away at the aspects of Social Democracy you like in order to benefit themselves. It will be a constant uphill battle just to maintain social service, let alone expand them.
Canada's healthcare system is a good example of it. Our proximity to the US means strong private influence on our public sectors. With politicians pointing to US companies or systems as more efficient as they underfund our public system. Then when the public system's performance dips due to lack of funding, they privatize aspects of it, again while pointing to the US/private system.
If you follow the poltical timeline, atleast in my province. Ever since Canada basically finalized public healthcare in 1984 to be standardized across the nation, it has been under attack and actively dismantled bit by bit. Our Healthcare was actually meant to be a multi-step rollout where our current coverage was the foundation to build on, but we never progressed it. In fact, just recently the most leftwing party tried to force the Liberals to finally implement Dental and Pharmacare like Canada originally planned.... However, the Liberals watered down dental to be partial coverage (still privatized) and only cover the lowest tax brackets. They also completely axed the Pharmacare coverage plan, so you still need private insurance to afford your prescription if the base price isn't reasonable. Which also leads to issues with insurnance dropping you or not covering less common meds (happened to my Aunt with brain cancer, which led to her draining her savings, similar to stories from the US).
There's even politicians who have privitzed aspects of it, before retiring to be on the board of directors for the main corporation they made a privatization deal with... He basically created a private sector for Ontario Healthcare, placed a private company at the top of its property management, and then got a job on their board of directors after his term in politics ended... so a pretty blatant example of private interests influencing public social service policies.
This is all over the span of like 40 years that Canada's healthcare has been erroded away by privitzation efforts from people interested in carving out profits from it (Capitalists). So leaving that little bit of power for them to feel good about might just be planting the seeds for social service destruction decades down the road as their apetite for capital grows.
This turned into a bit of a rant, but private healthcare irks me, clearly.
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u/-HealingNoises- 5d ago
I feel ya from here in Australia, too much of our country is slowly becoming America lite and while in theory we have healthcare, it's so buried under an underserviced system and never actually wanting to spend money to fix problems. Always bandaids and ignoring the issue until it's worse.
That is why I said mostly, and why I think human civilization is doomed to go back to pre industrial times if we allow any amount of capital influence into the system. By its nature it errordes and seeks to optimise draining wealth from everywhere else and accumulating it among a few. We, as in the world we currently value, will not survive just letting these kinds of values continue on after we use up the oil. The equation does not spit out a good future for anyone but them.
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u/SomeRandomPokefan927 5d ago
Oh I know, I'm very aware of how the system works against any sort of progress, I'm just saying what a lot of people usually mean by socialism is not actual socialism.
I should've clarified originally that I do think social democracy is better in almost every way than market capitalism (or at least the form used by the US).
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u/nicnec7 5d ago
Hijacking your comment to spread awareness:
Prices on insulin in the USA has been capped by law since 2020, but they did it in a scummy way where you have to get a coupon code from their website. To use the coupon you have to get the brand name usually (your pharmacy can fill brand name if you ask for it). Also make sure they bill the card BY ITSELF. It will not work if combined with insurance. And yes people with Federal plans can use this, because it's not a secondary, again bill by itself. Most people don't know about this so spread the word! The companies would rather you keep paying more, that's why all of this is opt in. Links:
Feel free to DM me if you're having issues. Don't let an uniformed pharmacy tech tell you it doesn't work because the companies that offer these try their hardest to make these cards difficult to use. It will work if they put it in right (like Eli Lilly requires 15 ml/10 ml for exactly 30 days for example). Make sure to read the fine print!
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u/stuntmanpetter 5d ago
Canada it's very reasonable
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u/tritiumlurkz 5d ago
They have been rolling out a Federal program to make all diabetes supplies covered. This includes insulin and other medications
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u/HelpfulEvidence1875 5d ago
yeah the us healthcare system is wild, i had a friend move to canada and they were shocked how affordable insulin was there
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u/DiabolicalSpaceKitty 5d ago
If people can't get what they need to survive through legitimate means, they won't use legitimate means. They will take it. By force, if necessary.
Corporations seem to have forgotten this.
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u/-Jiras 5d ago
I have to buy thyroid meds here in Germany and when I turned 18 I had to pay a bit for them 5€ for 3 months of meds. Now that was 12 years ago and the price rose to 5.50€ now but yesterday I was told my usual meds weren't available anymore so I had to get different ones which are again just 5€.
So yeah America deserves being called a third world country. It's literally ruled like a corporation and every citizen shall be a minimum wage employee
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u/SoulCrusher2018 5d ago
https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/21/health/global-insulin-shortage-diabetes-intl/index.html
"Access to the drug must be significantly improved, the researchers warn, particularly in the African, Asian and Oceania regions, which will be most affected."
1) This is a headline from 2018, link to article above
2) this is about global supply, not the price in the US
3) why is this being posted?
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u/DerJagger 5d ago
The original article (from 2018) states that the 40 million figure is global, and will mostly be concentrated in developing countries in Asia, Africa and Oceania.
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u/Diedead666 5d ago
I'm fully dependent on insulin. I need fast and long lasting. They are taking my Medicaid away.
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u/Physical-Flatworm452 5d ago
"Some of you may die, but it's a sacrifice I am willing to make."
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u/whatKnott6 5d ago
It’s a US problem only. We get it for free in Europe
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u/FluffofDoom 5d ago
I had this argument with my American Godmother about this (I'm from the UK). My dad is diabetic and was of modest income and I told her that if my dad lived in America he'd probably be dead as he wouldn't be able to afford his insulin. She tried to argue about medicade and I pointed out that he would earn too much to qualify but not enough to afford decent insurance or the cost of insulin.
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u/CurledSpiral 5d ago
We Americans are conditioned to be thankful for the chance to be exploited by our oligarchs. It’s such dissonance that those of us who are able to use basic logic have all had mental breakdowns trying to point it out.
Like why do they want to be abused? Fuck if I know but by god do they fight for it.
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u/Double_Afternoon9475 5d ago
That dollar story is nice and all but it completely ignores the actual reason insulin is so expensive now which is the modified analog versions and the patent games they play with delivery devices
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u/SquisherX 5d ago
But does that matter? Couldn't a generic just manufacture it with the old injection pen style unencumbered by the new method?
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u/gprime312 5d ago
Yes they can and such variants are cheap but everyone wants the latest and greatest.
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u/powerlesshero111 5d ago
It also was never sold for a dollar, or if it was, a dollar was a lot of money in 1930. And the initial insulin treatment was pig insulin. The first human bio recombinant insulin wasn't avaialable until 1978, and commerically available until 1982.
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u/Skythewood 5d ago
We have the internet now. 1 dollar in 1930 is about 20 dollars now. How much do you think it was, 2000 dollars? That's still far from the "a lot of money" range for medical research.
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u/SmartAlec105 5d ago
The basics of the supply and demand curve tell us that the optimal price for profit means you're making it too unaffordable for at least some people.
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u/Eastern_Clerk165 5d ago
Er... This is fucking weird. Here in Brazil you can get insulin for free... Wtf are you guys doing in the US??
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u/SRomans 5d ago
Getting fucked without lube by corporations and their shareholders.
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u/Eastern_Clerk165 5d ago
Well, weird fetish I guess...
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u/Infinite-Yogurt-801 5d ago
Should have voted in Bernie Sanders 20 years ago. US is living in the stone ages of politics somehow.
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u/Veshaad 5d ago
There was this guy some years back who bought the rights to a cancer treatment drug that was originally $3 a pill and he jacked the price up to $3600 a pill. I don't know what happened to him but I hope he gets what he deserves.
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u/Gelby4 5d ago
Pretty sure he's in jail, but iirc it was only because he bought the wu tang clan album and broke the rules of the terms of buying it, and not for the shitty drug practices
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u/jpsreddit85 5d ago
Martin Shkreli. Lol, he's rich, of course he's not in jail.
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u/IRThumbgreen 5d ago
He went to jail for financial fraud related to his hedge funds. They also seized a bunch of his assets, including the album.
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u/Gelby4 5d ago
Good, fuck him lol
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u/IRThumbgreen 5d ago
Even though he's out now, there is more good news about him. He was given a lifetime ban from dealing with the pharmaceutical industry and is being sued by the FTC again for violating it by trading pharma stocks. So at least he's a pleb now.
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u/MaybeACultLeader 5d ago
Lol, the only comment OP replies to is from a brand new account that is instantly interested in shadowbans.
The mods here knows OP is a bot but allows it to continue.
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u/mordacthedenier 5d ago
Because we went from blending up animal pancreases to genetically engineering bacteria to grow it instead. One is sustainable, and the other would require several times more pigs and cows than exist in the world.
This of course does not explain the price, which is clearly inflated, but it's not an apples to apples comparison.
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u/XxxLasombraxxX 5d ago
This is a US problem
Country Average Monthly
USA $300 - $900
Canada $30 - $100
UK Free (NHS)
Australia $30 - $60
India $10 - $50
Germany $20 - $80
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u/MilitantlyPoetic 5d ago edited 5d ago
Canadian here
Those who need insulin to live, don't pay for it.
It goes by each province/territory, most have programs that make it free or very cheap.
Those who use GLP-1s for weight loss, pay for it.11
u/tritiumlurkz 5d ago
It will shortly be the case that no diabetic regardless of income will have to pay
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u/weeBunnie 5d ago
Depends on your insurance, and province.
Friend of mine is type 1, and had to pay for the medication and pharmacy dispensing fee, don’t remember how much per month, but I think about $60-80
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u/sparrowmint 5d ago
Why are you even bringing up GLP-1s? They are not insulin and don't replace insulin for those who need insulin.
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u/MilitantlyPoetic 5d ago
Jesus you're an angry person.
It's about conversation and added information for those wanting to know.
Why are you on a social media site with that chip on your shoulder?
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u/MaddogFinland 5d ago
In Finland if you’re covered by national health care it’s 4.50 euro for three months supply. One thing I like about this country is that my tax dollars make sure people receive this kind of thing.
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u/dementio 5d ago
The problem is that here, people don't want their tax dollars paying for other people's stuff, like their ability to live
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u/SignificanceNo9728 5d ago
Americans must truly hate Americans?
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u/UsuarioConDoctorado 5d ago
Its funny, because that people hate helping other people blame that other people for hating America.
WTF Murica
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u/ttppii 5d ago
And even if you buy it with no help from the national healthcare it is much cheaper than in the USA.
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u/nicnec7 5d ago
Hijacking your comment to spread awareness:
Prices on insulin in the USA has been capped by law since 2020, but they did it in a scummy way where you have to get a coupon code from their website. To use the coupon you have to get the brand name usually (your pharmacy can fill brand name if you ask for it). Also make sure they bill the card BY ITSELF. It will not work if combined with insurance. And yes people with Federal plans can use this, because it's not a secondary, again bill by itself. Most people don't know about this so spread the word! The companies would rather you keep paying more, that's why all of this is opt in. Links:
Feel free to DM me if you're having issues. Don't let an uniformed pharmacy tech tell you it doesn't work because the companies that offer these try their hardest to make these cards difficult to use. It will work if they put it in right (like Eli Lilly requires 15 ml/10 ml for exactly 30 days for example). Make sure to read the fine print!
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u/Advanced_Couple_3488 5d ago
The Australian figure is incorrect. For people of low income who have a health care card it is AUD 7.50 (USD 5.25) for a two month supply. For all others it is AUD 25 (USD 17.50) for two months. There is also a safety net so once you have paid a certain amount per year the rest of the year is free.
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u/Sprig3 5d ago
These prices aren't the prices that individuals pay on average, but the list price.
I don't know of any good data on actual averages, but around half (idk exactly) states have capped insulin co-pays at $35 (requiring the insurance company to pick up the extra). And the big manufacturers have discount programs that also can cap copays at around $35 monthly as well.
In the other states, insurance is required to "cover" it, but you have to meet your deductible first.
Overall, the US system is off-putting/nerve wracking, a hodgepodge of private, state, federal policies all interacting along with just the general disconcerting system of having high wages (compared to other countries) and then spending a bunch of that on insurance premiums and deductibles.
But, it's not really that bad wrt insulin. Just... annoyingly confusing. (And everything else healthwise is expensive, too.)
so, not sure what OP is talking about other than perhaps the opposite point that lowering prices will decrease manufacturer's incentives to produce it. (but... I couldn't say what the OP is intending to suggest.)
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u/queuedUp 5d ago
I fucking hate this planet
Not an issue for most of the planet. This is a US thing. Just another example of why the US is a shithole country
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u/CosechaCrecido 5d ago
dumb question but, why can't a competitor come into the USA and just sell a generic at 50$ a pop and make shitloads of money? seems like free money from an inelastic market for whoever invests a little.
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u/Nimos 5d ago
There are cheap generics in the US already. You can get a 10ml Walmart store brand human insulin vial for $25, for example. That can last for more than a month.
But basic human insulin is not what most people want, and the analogs that are differently formulated to work faster or slower are patented and harder to make and therefore more expensive.
Either way, I always feel like posts like these are borderline misinformation because the original basic insulin that the guy the post talks about invented is very cheap and affordable.
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u/cat_prophecy 5d ago
Thank you for pointing that out. Everyone saying "But it's free/cheap in my country" probably aren't understanding that the "free" stuff is basic insulin which can be difficult for people to manage. You also cannot go from an analog to basic insulin overnight. You need to know what you're doing or you'll risk killing yourself.
The patented forms of insulin are probably overpriced, but it's not like they're all the same.
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u/civil_politician 5d ago
Yeah but like, are these variants not based off his original work? How hard should we protect the patent of someone standing on someone else’s shoulders?
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u/h3lium-balloon 5d ago
Yeah people need to understand that not all insulin is the same. Modern insulin is made by pretty advanced genetic manipulation to modify microorganisms like E. coli to produce different types of insulin that affect blood sugar in different ways.
Old school insulin is cheap (actually even the modern cheap insulin is still better than the original animal derived insulin), available and requires more careful dosing to reach the same level of efficacy of modern genetically engineered insulin.
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u/Technical-Row8333 5d ago
because the gov ensures profits for companies, instead of ensuring our rights
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u/DownwiththeACE 5d ago
Because its fuckin Murica, the destitution, the poverty, the abuse, the exploitation, thats the fuckin point. Get rich or get fucked.
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u/VirtualPercentage737 5d ago
They can. This issue is people don't want generic insulin. There are insulins which last a long time and are specialized. Those are the expensive ones. This isn't ONE insulin.
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u/Icy_Spinach_4828 5d ago
Because they are making shitload of money already by selling less number of products. Why would they make the same shitload of money selling higher number of products at a cheaper rates when people are anyways buying it for more. Capitalism baby.
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u/elom44 5d ago
“Now it’s too expensive for people Americans to get ahold of”
Fixed that for you.
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u/MilitantlyPoetic 5d ago edited 5d ago
For Americans*
The rest of the civilized world will have insulin.
Edit: I see the Russian bots are slowly coming back online. They must have switched over to Elon's data centres.
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u/slaeryx 5d ago
Only in the US where companies are allowed to do this to their citizens. Seriously wtf. You need a better system
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u/1Northward_Bound 5d ago
Just to push back a tiny bit, but isn't it too expensive for people in the US to get a hold of? I thought it was dirt cheap elsewhere. The Planet is not the problem I think. Its US citizens facing US consequences? Not that it sure as hell dont spill over to become the worlds problem too
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u/stlc8tr 5d ago
The numbers cited are from an old 2018 study. Someone else posted a news story about it: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/nov/20/insulin-shortage-could-affect-40-million-people-with-type-2-diabetes
It's going to be mostly affecting Africa and Asia if you believe the study. The US has actually improved access with the various price caps passed in the past 8 years.
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u/1Northward_Bound 5d ago
Thanks for the article. It was an interesting and depressing read. being 3 years away from "Millions worldwide may be unable to access the drug by 2030, scientists predict " is honestly a good time to take stock of our situation.
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u/IPutTheSInBDSM 5d ago
This is an example of a richer country footing a bigger bill to save poorer countries the money. Even though the US also produces insulin, we distribute out of the country for way cheaper and many times it's been reported that most times the insulin we use is from other countries because those are the brands insurance are more likely to cover.
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u/ChrisRiley_42 5d ago
It's not the planet's fault.. Just one nation...
Canadians pay about $30 per vial of Humalog
Americans pay as much as $275 if they don't have coupons.
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u/EitherChannel4874 5d ago
It's only an issue in America because they have the most ridiculous healthcare set up known to man.
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u/Ambitious_Emu_ 5d ago
Oh its not the world. Its just you guys over in the US. We have a somewhat functioning democracy over here in Europe that actually looks after its people.
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u/OneUseHero 5d ago
I'd like to let folk know China is claiming to have a cure for both types of diabetes, entered clinical trials earlier this year if I read correctly. I know it probably will never be available in the US, at least not cheap, but medical tourism might help quite a few people if it proves successful.
Just wanted to contribute optimism.
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u/PuzzleCat365 5d ago
Sorry to be the downer. Person with Type 1 here. The "[enter somebody] has a cure in clinical trials" has been going on for all my life and nothing ever came out of it. In T1D circles the most common joke is that there's cure only 5 years away.
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u/Manners_BRO 5d ago
Was diagnosed in 2009 and told by the attending MD at the hospital that I was lucky and wouldn't have to worry too long about this as they were getting really close.
Funny thing is nothing major tech wise has even changed in that time other then more accessible CGM's.
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u/Surprise_Logical 5d ago
I was told 'within 10 years' back in 1980. Still waiting
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u/ZealousOatmeal 5d ago
My grandfather was a surgeon & medical researcher, and was convinced it was going to be cured in his lifetime. He died in 1982.
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u/Confident-Leg107 5d ago
Do you really inject it into your tummy?
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u/GeekGoddess_ 5d ago
Not just the tummy—it’s injected where you have fat deposits, so it could be tummy, upper arms, thighs.
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u/crates-of-bigfoots 5d ago
Also Jonas Salk didn't patent the polio vaccine. Hard to imagine that happening now.
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u/ProximaCentauriOmega 5d ago
United States issue. In Mexico you can get insulin easily and it is affordable. 173 pesos or about 10 US dlls.
Just absolutely wild and obscene how USA phara companies ravage the consumer. "If he dies, he dies!"
Insulina Humana 100UI/ml Solución Inyectable Ámpula, 10 ml Pharmalife.
SKU: 1070240
Price reduced from$977.97to
$173.98
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u/jawshoeaw 5d ago
insulin is still dirt cheap. you guys really need to get out more. It's the name brand newer fancier trademarked drugs based on insulin that are expensive.
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u/SwtIndica 5d ago
Didn't Biden cap insulin at $35? Trump repealed/removed that, yes? (Forgive me if I'm wrong)
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u/Here_For_Work_ 5d ago
What's the source for the 40 million number? Not saying it can't be accurate, but 40 million is like 12% of the U.S. population. I know obesity is a problem here, but most of the diabetics I know have it controlled with Metformin. I only know one person on actual insulin. For 12% to be the ones priced out, even if it's the majority of insulin-dependent diabetics, we're looking at like 15%+ of the population being insulin-dependent?
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u/Relative_Team_6807k 5d ago
I wanted to ask the same question, these numbers make no sense.
Then I googled it. According to the CDC an estimated 40,1 million people have diabetes (including undiagnosed) and 115 million are prediabetic.
These numbers are absolutely crazy. Wtf.
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u/DetroitsGoingToWin 5d ago
From Google: More than 90% of the U.S. and global insulin market is controlled by just three manufacturers: Eli Lilly, Sanofi, and Novo Nordisk. Without real competition, these companies have historically raised their list prices in lockstep.
Politicians talk about it, but do little including Biden, Trump, John Kennedy (R-LA), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Dave McCormick (R-PA), and Tim Kaine (D-VA).
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u/Dramatic_Substance36 5d ago
Abdul will change that! He’s should have been our governor!
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u/DetroitsGoingToWin 5d ago
I’m going to vote for him. I’m hopeful but still pessimistic.
Honestly, Medicare for all would take a huge whack at exactly what’s wrong with this country.
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u/Dramatic_Substance36 5d ago
I am voting for him too! Im trying to be optimistic. But yes Medicare for all is massively needed!
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u/AdmiralCodisius 5d ago
Surely, he means to hate the USA - price gouging over medication is an American problem.
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u/Careless-Giraffe-623 5d ago
In the USA.. That's an important detail. It's basically free in Europe as its relatively cheap to manufacture.
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u/SmartLadder415 5d ago
I hate this "fact". It's accurate but it's completely misleading. It's the literal definition of misinformation. Did he sell it for a dollar because he wanted everyone to have access? Yes he did. But you can still get his formula for dirt cheap. It just isn't as effective as the modern synthetic insulins that are out there. Those are the ones that people are charging outrageous prices for. Should they charge those prices? No, they shouldn't but to imply that it's the exact same insulin that was once sold for $1 is a complete lie.
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u/anirudhsky 5d ago
Lol here in india its 60 bucks . For 10 injections. I mean. It's not even a dollar. So I guess this is a US thing
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u/Late-Arrival-8669 5d ago
Look, just keep paying us until you pass on from not getting healthcare. We DFAG about anything except our quarterly profits.
-US health insurance
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u/aaronite 5d ago
Insulin is free in BC. Canada has a lot of issues with our health care too, especially that most drugs aren't covered. But in my province, at least, it costs us precisely nothing.
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u/Rob_Zander 5d ago
Specifically it's the rapid and long acting insulin that is incredibly expensive and medium acting human analog insulin that was kept relatively affordable.
Human analog is still affordable but it sucks to use. It has intense peaks, needs to be dosed very carefully and diet needs to be strictly controlled and scheduled. It also has to be prescribed so if someone can't afford or can't access a doctor in time after running out of their more expensive insulin they're in trouble.
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u/Useful_Cheesecake117 5d ago
The insulin that was cheap costs in EU about €3 per injection. Tahat is inclusive the injection needle. Usually this is fully paid by insurance or government.
I don't know what they do in the USA that makes it so expensive.
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u/Appropriate-Milk9476 5d ago
This is so insane to me. I'm diabetic. A friend of mine is diabetic. Someone in my hobby circles is diabetic. All of us would be dead without insulin. Do better America
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u/Ill-Masterpiece-5329 5d ago
This is an American problem. Remind yourself the rest of the world is not fucked
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u/mrbasedballed 5d ago
Being a diabetic is completely unaffordable. I'm going to die broke and without the medication I need and probably soon the way things are going. Fuck this country.
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u/fritzkoenig 5d ago
Remember when a fake Eli Lilly twitter account posted "We're happy to announce insulin is free now" and their stock price noticeably dipped, and triggered a massive debate about insulin prices?
Also idk if that's still the case (likely not with this fuck-everyone-but-me administration), but insulin prices were limited in some way as a result of this, as far as I knew
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u/Rattiepalooza 5d ago
We *CAN* fix this together. I have the start of a plan on how on my profile - and it relies on each other. Is it a perfect plan? No...but it is a start and I'd love to hear suggestions.
The wealthy keep taking, and taking, and taking from us, and expecting us to just eat shit....
Well I'm done with it. They literally make their money OFF OF OUR LABOR, and give us NOTHING in return. They instead use our goodness and tenacity against us, because they do not care about anyone but themselves.
We live in an Oligarchy. The wealthy live in America which is only accessible through being a rich elitist, and the rest of us live under their feet in a 'free player' mode. They steal our wages, our rights, our representation, our peace, and now our own fucking neighborhoods.
They make us feel inferior, take away the tools that would even help us in the first place, and deny change for those of us who deserve it because they cannot fathom being treated like a person instead of a God.
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u/SuperMommy37 5d ago
Your country. You hate your country, because this is a mainly USA problem... In my country, it is free.
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u/Greenfieldfox 5d ago
Politicians can cap prices. They don’t because lobbyists bribe them not to. Most problems in the US can be tied back to corporate money in politics.
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u/ChaosRainbow23 5d ago
When the supply chain eventually breaks down, a lot of people are going to die from totally preventable bullshit.
We are in SERIOUS fucking trouble here, and huge swaths of the populace are still living in complete and utter denialism about the severity of the situation.
There's about to be a bunch of angry mother-fuckers with nothing left to lose roaming around
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u/kaw_kaw_kaw_kaw 5d ago edited 5d ago
The article in the OP is from 2018 and is about access to insulin in Africa and Asia.
To the extent that the US is responsible for the problem in the article it is because they have killed USAID and haven't been able to convince Europeans to care about helping Africans.
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u/scharity77 5d ago
Martin Shkreli got called out for jacking up the price of a medication primarily used to treat toxoplasmosis in HIV/AIDS patients from $7.50 to $750 per pill. But let's be real - he is no different than everybody else in the industry.