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Biden launches action on "Big Tech, Big Pharma, and Big Ag" – can it be real?

mattstoller.substack.com

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Re: Biden launches action on "Big Tech, Big Pharma, and Big Ag" – can it be real?

#331

Post by mlindner »

sb057 wrote: post #310
wormslayer666 wrote: post #122

Direct link to the executive order (it's in the article, but might as well put here): https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-action...

I found this fact sheet more useful than the order itself or articles about it: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases... In the Order, the President: * Encourages the FTC to ban or limit non-compete agreements. * Encourages the FTC to ban unnecessary occupational licensing restrictions that impede economic mobility. * Encourages the FTC and DOJ to strengthen antitrust guidance to prevent employ…

All the good ideas are under the "Encourages" type of thing. How does this actually do anything?

Re: Biden launches action on "Big Tech, Big Pharma, and Big Ag" – can it be real?

#332

Post by pkaye »

the_third_wave wrote: post #175
toomuchtodo wrote: post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I encourage you (and others) to actively engage with your Congressional representatives and regulators in this regard.

Being European I think they will pay even less attention to me than they would to their constituents. Hearing aids are expensive on this side of the Atlantic as well though - although less expensive than in the USA - so it is still worth finding a way to open up this market. Just like intrepid hackers managed to turn routing appliances into versatile network components by creating OpenWRT, DD-WRT and similar "hacks"…

The high price for hearing aids in the US is due to that independent providers need to mark up their hearing aids to pay for their overhead. So a $4k/pair hearing aid might have cost $2k/pair for them. Here Costco also sells hearing aids so they private label the same top end hearing aids for $1.4k/pair. They are a lot cheaper because they make profits through their overall membership base. Also they can negotiate a volume discount. Based of talking to the audiologist, I'd say the supplier sells them for $1.3k/pair tops.

Having hearing aids myself, the big thing is amplifying the sound without the noise. The device needs to figure out what to focus on. If I'm in a restaurant with lots of background noise and people talking, what should be amplified. Most hearing aids use multiple microphones and program settings to identify what to focus on. And there are different kinds of noise like car engine noise or HVAC noise. And don't forget the wind noise on the microphone when you are walking. Also hearing aids compress the dynamic range and frequencies to extend the range of hearing to improve comprehension. And if there is a sudden loud noise it shouldn't go beyond a comfortable power level.

Re: Biden launches action on "Big Tech, Big Pharma, and Big Ag" – can it be real?

#333

Post by dukeofdoom »

ModernMech wrote: post #295
dukeofdoom wrote: post #221

Is he really in a position to keep doing this? Biden recorder the most votes in history, while winning the fewest counties. That's a head scratcher. The fact remains most of the geographic area of the country voted red. If he keeps this up, states are going to start ignoring his executive orders. That's not how democracy is supposed to work. Laws get passed by legislature, not by dictate of the King.

> Biden recorder the most votes in history, while winning the fewest counties. That's a head scratcher. Why is that a head scratcher? 40% the us population lives in just 100 counties (of 3000)

The stacking of improbabilities is a head scratcher. 12 million vote increase over Obama with 300+ fewer counties. Must be wildly more popular. Yet was losing the nomination of his own party. Can't 10k views on youtube, but somehow more black people turned out to vote for him in Detroit than Obama. I, like 40%+ of Americans have doubts about this Election.

Re: Biden launches action on "Big Tech, Big Pharma, and Big Ag" – can it be real?

#334

Post by mlindner »

sb057 wrote: post #310
wormslayer666 wrote: post #122

Direct link to the executive order (it's in the article, but might as well put here): https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-action...

I found this fact sheet more useful than the order itself or articles about it: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases... In the Order, the President: * Encourages the FTC to ban or limit non-compete agreements. * Encourages the FTC to ban unnecessary occupational licensing restrictions that impede economic mobility. * Encourages the FTC and DOJ to strengthen antitrust guidance to prevent employ…

> * Encourages the FTC to restore Net Neutrality rules undone by the prior administration.

This is the worst thing in the list. The politicians still don't seem to understand how the internet works and how different service types cost differently and have different effects on the network. A new Netflix-like service is a very different thing than a new social-network-like service.

Re: Biden launches action on "Big Tech, Big Pharma, and Big Ag" – can it be real?

#335

Post by nostromo »

pkaye wrote: post #323
fallingknife wrote: post #269

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is that legal?

You can personally import up to 3 months worth of medications if you have doctors prescription. https://www.fda.gov/industry/import-basics/personal-importat...

You can buy prescription drugs online from India without a prescription for super cheap. They arrive in your mail.

This is probably illegal, but not enforced.

I’m insured so it’d actually be cheaper for me personally to go in to the doctor and ask for a prescription. But I got tired of taking time out of my day for this - these are just beta blockers for fuck’s sake.

Re: Biden launches action on "Big Tech, Big Pharma, and Big Ag" – can it be real?

#336

Post by 8note »

the-dude wrote: post #143
throwawayswede wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They're part of the same mafia, Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America spent $8664000 in 2021 only on lobbying. https://www.opensecrets.org/federal-lobbying/top-spenders

That looks like a big number, but it is $8.6M ? Is that a lot?

Its certainly more than I paid in taxes

Re: Biden launches action on "Big Tech, Big Pharma, and Big Ag" – can it be real?

#337

Post by l33t2328 »

dmitriid wrote: post #330
TearsInTheRain wrote: post #308

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Idk why any politicians arent picking up on foreign price controls as a means of lowering costs in the US. It should be a part of the discussion during any trade talks with Europe.

What you're literally saying is: instead of ending predatory pricing, enforce it for the rest of the world. Here's a novel idea: cut military spending in half, and you can provide all the free medicine to all Americans for the rest of their lives. All the while making the world a safer place.

Are you aware that the US government already spends far more on health care than it does on the military?

Half the US defense budget is no where near the amount spent on healthcare in the private sector.

Re: Biden launches action on "Big Tech, Big Pharma, and Big Ag" – can it be real?

#338

Post by legulere »

AnthonyMouse wrote: post #301
hyperhopper wrote: post #293

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is also a third issue: The high cost of medicines that are low cost to produce, and are sold at low cost elsewhere

This one is particularly prickly because the high cost paid in the US funds medical R&D and extremely expensive clinical trials which other countries are free riding on by imposing price controls. We still need to fund the R&D and clinical trials (unless they could be made less expensive somehow), so the most obvious solution would be to have other countries pay their fair share so the US could stop subsidizing every…

Pharmaceutical companies spend even more on advertising than on R&D and still highly profitable though.

Re: Biden launches action on "Big Tech, Big Pharma, and Big Ag" – can it be real?

#339

Post by mlindner »

ergocoder wrote: post #302
ampdepolymerase wrote: post #7

How about Big Telecom and Big Fintech and Banking? Or is it simply because the rest did not pay enough to the lobbyists?

I have no idea why big tech is in there. If you think Google, apple, Microsoft, and Facebook are evil, then other kinds of business like Pharma, insurance, bank, agriculture are 10x Satan reborn combined.

Well those haven't had a couple decades of time working with the government to build regulations that suit them. They're early stage still.

Re: Biden launches action on "Big Tech, Big Pharma, and Big Ag" – can it be real?

#340

Post by prestigious »

AnthonyMouse wrote: post #319
wvenable wrote: post #313

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In 2018, the average insulin price in the US was $98.70, compared to $6.94 in Australia, $12.00 in Canada, and $7.52 in the UK. This is a 100 year old drug.

It isn't a 100 year old drug. There are newer formulations that are faster acting, longer lasting, easier to administer, etc. They're newer so they're still under patent so they're a lot more expensive (because the rest of the world makes the US pay to develop the newer formulations). When insurance is paying for it, people prefer the newer formulations. Then, since most people have insurance, there wasn't enough of…

At least give the option of the old shit
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