Importing drugs from Canada = FREE TRADE

[Hippo_Tron]

George Bush loves free trade... that is when it benefits corporations.

Under our various trade deals, corporations are allowed to outsource jobs to cheap overseas labor markets. Basically, they are allowed to go overseas to buy something that is cheaper for them over there. However, when it comes to PEOPLE going to another country to buy something that is cheaper for them, right wingers are bitching about how it is hurting drug companies impairing them from doing further research.

Well drug companies, I say tough shit. If an American worker has to live with his job being shipped overseas due to free trade, then you should have to live with people buying their drugs overseas due to free trade. We live in a global economy now. If you guys can't keep up then you suffer the consequences.

Next time a right winger tells you that they are against people importing drugs from Canada, tell them that they support big government protectionism.

[Bozita]

1. Big pharma $$$ to the GOP trumps free trade

It's the 'Murican way.

[Deja Q]

2. Figured that a LONG time ago.

It's amazing to see coworkers reacting to what is easily common knowledge.

[Canuckistanian]

3. The sad fact is, they come from the US to begin with

If your states could work out bulk buying deals, you could have lower prices than us, even.

But, NOOOOOO.....

[LiviaOlivia]

6. Big pharma(USA) won't kill the cash cow

No matter how many dead line this new Appian Way. They won't budge til forced. Their time will come. The stupid fucks wrote the Medicare bill aka their suicide note.

[Nederland]

4. Amen

As one of the rare DU members that advocates free trade, I love this argument.

[Hippo_Tron]

5. I think that most DUers agree with some form of trade

But I think that everyone also believes that most of the trade agreements are written for corporations and not for people (at least under this president). The slogan that people tend to use is "fair trade" as opposed to free trade. I think that fair trade is different from protectionism. The question comes in whether or not we bitch at our representatives for not voting against these agreements and forcing them back to the drawing board or accept that we have to give into these agreements now and wait until we get a democrat in office to enact some fair standards.

[Nederland]

8. The problem with "Fair Trade" is the definition

What is fair trade? Is it "fair" to force third world countries to abide by first world labor, environmental and safety standards? My experience is that ultimately anyone who advocates the fair trade position is actually simply advocating a position that makes it difficult or impossible for any foreign producers to be competitive with US producers. That, IMHO, is not fair.

But therein lies the problem, what appears "fair" to one party often appears unfair to the other.

[Hippo_Tron]

10. Well I think to a certain extent they should have to comply

Environmental standards are important as are human rights and safety standards. It's not going to put a corporation out of business if they have to have reasonable safety standards and working conditions in their factories in Bangalore.

Now... should third world countries have to pay their workers American wages? No, because a living wage in a third world country is FAR less than it is in America and that's where corporations get to benefit by saving money.

[Doctor_J]

7. Free trade is only a good thing when it is used to bust unions

when it hurts *'s Pharm friends, then it's bad.

[Yollam]

9. Ah, but they have laws against gouging and we don't.

The repugs think that's no fair.

[Telly Savalas]

11. Why can't the American Left be bothered to promote Canadian style

negotiations with the drug companies? In other words adopt the same policies that Canada does to keep prices down. Doesn't that make a little more sense than trying to raid the pharmacies of a country with a tenth of the population?