KRC Posted November 2, 2004 Posted November 2, 2004 PastaJoe's response to the "Why are you voting for Kerry" thread got me thinking. I am constantly hearing that people are pissed that American companies are outsourcing jobs to India, China, etc. This outsourcing reduces the price of the product, to the detriment of the American worker. In the next sentence from the same people, they mention that they want to import prescription drugs from Canada, in order to reduce prices. How is this different from the first scenario? In both cases, the cost of the product is being reduced, by outsourcing the work to another country. I do not see a difference between these two scenarios. Anyone want to fill me in in why one is good, and the other is bad?
KRC Posted November 2, 2004 Author Posted November 2, 2004 Do your own homework 96393[/snapback] :I starred in Brokeback Mountain: ****. Seriously, anyone else see the contradiction in this?
VABills Posted November 2, 2004 Posted November 2, 2004 The issue is, people think it is the "MAN" the Corporations making the money, not the workers in the drug company case. Therefore it is okay to have us imprt canadian drugs.
GG Posted November 2, 2004 Posted November 2, 2004 The issue is, people think it is the "MAN" the Corporations making the money, not the workers in the drug company case. Therefore it is okay to have us imprt canadian drugs. 96407[/snapback] It's actually the same evil - it's ok to import drugs from Canada to prevent the evil drug corporations from gouging prices in the US, while railing against evil tech corporations for exporting good jobs overseas.
Kelly the Dog Posted November 2, 2004 Posted November 2, 2004 I am not educated enough on the outsourcing issue to have any real understanding of whether it is ultimately good or bad for us and our economy. But I would think, like most things, it is both, and the thing cannot be looked at like you posed your question. Obviously some outsourcing is good and some is bad, some things coming into the country like prescription drugs are good and some bad. The only way to deal with them is to go with what is the MOST good or the least bad, and not look at it in black and white terms like don't those things contradict each other. Not everyone is going to be happy, and likely there will be some contradictions and discrepancies, but you have to go with the overall choice, knowing some people and companies are going to be hurt.
GG Posted November 2, 2004 Posted November 2, 2004 Is the Arizona heat getting to you? You sound almost like a conservative. I am not educated enough on the outsourcing issue to have any real understanding of whether it is ultimately good or bad for us and our economy. But I would think, like most things, it is both, and the thing cannot be looked at like you posed your question. Obviously some outsourcing is good and some is bad, some things coming into the country like prescription drugs are good and some bad. The only way to deal with them is to go with what is the MOST good or the least bad, and not look at it in black and white terms like don't those things contradict each other. Not everyone is going to be happy, and likely there will be some contradictions and discrepancies, but you have to go with the overall choice, knowing some people and companies are going to be hurt. 96419[/snapback]
KRC Posted November 2, 2004 Author Posted November 2, 2004 I am not educated enough on the outsourcing issue to have any real understanding of whether it is ultimately good or bad for us and our economy. But I would think, like most things, it is both, and the thing cannot be looked at like you posed your question. Obviously some outsourcing is good and some is bad, some things coming into the country like prescription drugs are good and some bad. The only way to deal with them is to go with what is the MOST good or the least bad, and not look at it in black and white terms like don't those things contradict each other. Not everyone is going to be happy, and likely there will be some contradictions and discrepancies, but you have to go with the overall choice, knowing some people and companies are going to be hurt. 96419[/snapback] A difference would be that the outsourcing in the first case helps the American corporations. The outsourcing in the second case helps Canadian companies. But yet, people have no trouble when it helps Canadian companies, but have trouble when it benefits American companies. Why? I would think that Americans would prefer the benefits to go to American companies and not the other way. Both cases reduce costs to the consumer, and both cases are detrimental to American worker.
Kelly the Dog Posted November 2, 2004 Posted November 2, 2004 Is the Arizona heat getting to you? You sound almost like a conservative. 96426[/snapback] I have been out of that heat and into the Southern California heat for the last decade or so, although I have been in Buffalo for about three months now. I don't know if that is a conservative view or not.
gmac17 Posted November 2, 2004 Posted November 2, 2004 and the other part about outsourcing is that the same people who talk about the evils of outsourcing will be lined up 50 deep on November 26th at Wal Mart to buy a 19" color TV set for $69. (btw - this blows me away. how the hell do you build a factory, make a tv set, put it on a boat, ship it to Long Beach, put it on a truck, ship it to Buffalo and sell if for $69???? - amazing). Kelly is right, it is both good and bad.
Mike in Syracuse Posted November 2, 2004 Posted November 2, 2004 To make your head really hurt, I think that some of the products that they are talking about "importing" from Canada are actually made in the U.S. The issue on prescription drugs is one of pure capitalism. Manufacturers in the U.S. can charge whatever the market will bear, in Canada the prices are regulated by the government. Pick your poison.
PastaJoe Posted November 2, 2004 Posted November 2, 2004 The importation of prescription drugs and allowing Medicare to negotiate rates are related. Canadians, Europeans and other potential exporters are not paying generic prices for drugs. They are paying discounted prices negotiated by their national or provincial health authorities – something specifically prohibited in last year's Medicare prescription drug bill. If the U.S. joined the party, a bill allowing drug imports would be unnecessary. But if Medicare continues to not be allowed to negotiate, then at the very least people, especially those on fixed incomes, should be allowed to get the same drugs at a lower rate from Canada if they choose to do so. And I have boycotted Walmart for the past two years. I don't like their policy of forcing suppliers to keep pushing their prices lower, which ends up in more products being produced overseas, and the policy of more part-time jobs instead of full-time jobs. Then to compete Walmart's competitors have to do the same. It increases Walmart's profits, but it results in less full time manufacturing jobs and lower paying part time retail jobs in America.
gmac17 Posted November 2, 2004 Posted November 2, 2004 And I have boycotted Walmart for the past two years. Good to hear - not that I think that boycotting Walmart is necessarily good, but nothing bothers me more than someone who bitches about something and does nothing about it. As for the Drugs, the real solution of the for the drug companies to grow some balls and tell the canadians and europeans they either pay the market price for drugs or they don't get them. Stop us idiots over here from subsidizing their costs.
CoachChuckDickerson Posted November 2, 2004 Posted November 2, 2004 Seriously, anyone else see the contradiction in this? 96397[/snapback] No. The drugs are manufactured overseas. They are not american made drugs that will cost american workers their jobs.
VABills Posted November 2, 2004 Posted November 2, 2004 No. The drugs are manufactured overseas. They are not american made drugs that will cost american workers their jobs. 96500[/snapback] Wrong they are American drugs made and shipped enmasse to Canada under pricing restrictions or generics made by the canadian companies who don't follow US guidelines on infringement.
CoachChuckDickerson Posted November 2, 2004 Posted November 2, 2004 Wrong they are American drugs made and shipped enmasse to Canada under pricing restrictions or generics made by the canadian companies who don't follow US guidelines on infringement. 96510[/snapback] LOL! You are joking right? Do you make this stuff up as you go or does somebody write it for you?
VABills Posted November 2, 2004 Posted November 2, 2004 LOL! You are joking right? Do you make this stuff up as you go or does somebody write it for you? 96532[/snapback] How's about the FDA website. It's a lot to read and there are various reasons for the problems, but the FDA specifically points out repeatedly that there are several companies there manufactoring generics that they are not permitted or approved to make that are. have fun with the facts. http://www.fda.gov/foi/warning_letters/g4535d.htm http://www.fda.gov/importeddrugs/ Where do you get you info, since it obviously is made up?
BuffaloBorn1960 Posted November 2, 2004 Posted November 2, 2004 How's about the FDA website. It's a lot to read and there are various reasons for the problems, but the FDA specifically points out repeatedly that there are several companies there manufactoring generics that they are not permitted or approved to make that are. have fun with the facts. http://www.fda.gov/foi/warning_letters/g4535d.htm http://www.fda.gov/importeddrugs/ Where do you get you info, since it obviously is made up? 96565[/snapback] facts suck
ExiledInIllinois Posted November 2, 2004 Posted November 2, 2004 Because the drugs are all made here anyway? Don't they make most of the drugs here and send them overseas? Why do we pay a premium here? Are we talking about drug production or research? Most of it is done here? Am I wrong? Why can they go to Canada, then come back here (where they started) cheaper? Am I missing something?
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