Bernie Sanders took Americans to Canada to prove a point

[Uncle Joe]

(snip)

The vial would cost around $340 in the United States, but it was $36 over the counter in Windsor, the result of more vigorous government price controls. Sanders said pharmaceutical executives who price-fix drugs should go to jail. Dozens of members of the press were on the trip; his campaign fundraised off it. Sunday’s trip was clearly political.

But it wasn’t political in the way Sanders usually is. He made no mention of Medicare-for-all. The Americans on the bus didn’t know Sanders’s campaign was paying for the trip when they signed up for it; the advocacy group Insulin for All, which helped find diabetics for the bus ride, designed it that way. Several of the participants didn’t even know what Sanders was about.

(snip)

On the bus Sunday, Sanders put this message in real terms. His messengers are people like Kathy Sego, an Indiana mother whose 22-year-old son Hunter has Type 1 diabetes, who came home having saved $10,000.

“$1,000 today got me six months of insulin for my son,” Sego said, crying, outside the pharmacy. “That’s still less than what we pay for one month in the United States.”

(snip)


https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/7/30/20729479/bernie-sanders-canada-medicare-for-all-drug-price-insulin

This is an excellent read.

[James48]

1. Bernie is correct

If you are concerned about medical costs in this country- a quick visit to Canada can put things into perspective.

No, it's not perfect. No system is. But Canada's way of dealing with drug companies is necessary, and a vital progressive move worth pursuing.

[sandensea]

2. Of course it costs 10 times more in the U.S.

Someone's got to pay for the CEO's lifestyle and the myriad executives' - to say nothing of the mistresses'.

[corbettkroehler]

3. Great Point! (n/t)

[sandensea]

7. Thank you

Every gilded age seems to be more gilded than the last.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

4. Those homes in The Hamptons don't buy themselves.

Speaking of The Hamptons, doesn’t a lot of “fundraising” take place there?

[George II]

5. Houses on North Hero are pretty expensive, too.

[ehrnst]

9. Also, if you call them "Grassroots" fundraisers they don't actually count as "fundraisers"

I believe that the only thing distinguishing one from the other is the dreaded "canapes."

Corrupt, corporatist CANAPES are what really shows how ESTABLISHMENT a fundraiser is. For example If you serve TACOS in a San Francisco nightclub, that also makes it really, really NOT A FUNDRAISER IN THE HAMPTONS.

[George II]

10. How about lobster sliders?

[ehrnst]

11. Or "sponsorship opportunity gathering?" If you call them sponsors, instead of donors or superpacs,

then they're not one of those corrupting "MEGADONORS" at ALL. Completely different.

National Nurses United for Patient Protection, spent $1.3 million in the second half of the year, including donations totaling nearly $400,000 to a pair of other unlimited-spending groups supporting Sanders ― the California-based Progressive Kick received $245,000 and the Chicago-based Reclaim Chicago got $150,000. Most of the direct spending by National Nurses United for Patient Protection went towards ads, rallies and other voter outreach associated with a bus tour supporting Sanders, according to the report.

Sanders this month thanked the union’s members “for their support in my campaign” and called National Nurses United “one of the sponsors of my campaign and I appreciate that.”

https://www.politico.com/story/2016/01/bernie-sanders-super-pac-218478

Also, no one served them canapes, so there.

[George II]

13. Reminds me of that Bee Gees song, "It's only words.."

[sandensea]

6. I tell you.

And then you've got to win bidding wars on them with all the Wall Street banksters and Eurotrash.

[Uncle Joe]

8. 42

[theaocp]

12. Americans are overall cowardly when it comes to exploring ideas outside their comfort zone.

We don't dream big anymore because of fear. We fear fear itself. Single payer is smart and brave. Good luck to Bernie and Liz.

[Uncle Joe]

14. FDR we have nothing to fear except what's happening now.

I agree with you theaocp.