Posted on 03/02/2008 10:35:00 AM PST by MeanGreen2008
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez is sending 10 battalions of troops to country's border with Colombia.
He's also ordered the Venezuelan embassy in Bogota closed and say all embassy personnel will be withdrawn from Colombia.
The announcements by Venezuela's leftist leader pushed relations with its neighbor to their tensest point of his 9-year presidency.
Chavez is also warning that Colombia could spark a war in South America, calling its U.S.-allied government "a terrorist state" and labeling President Alvaro Uribe (oo-REE'-bay) "a criminal."
“So should we just go ahead and put some bureaucrat in charge of medicine prices?”
Don’t have to. All you have to do is make sure they’re not ripping people off by rigging things in their favor through bribery and other underhanded tactics. Classifying such activity as a form of price-fixing is a solid step. They’ll still rake in craploads of money before the patents expire and lots afterwards. Just not nearly as much.
Care to define what "underhanded tactics" you're talking about, and provide evidence for them?
You have some backup for the bribe claims? Or is it something you heard from A.Pole?
Have you ever read “OUTRAGE!” by Dick Morris? I don’t agree with his free-trade outlook on some trade protection, but the rest of the book is pretty good. He covers illegal immigration and drug company rip-offs in detail.
No.
He covers illegal immigration and drug company rip-offs in detail.
He has proof that drug companies paid bribes to other drug companies?
Wonder what part our Chinese friends are playing in this.
Alcee Hastings is concerned about Chavez? Maybe for his safety.
Another good article...
http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pdffiles/PUB808.pdf
“He has proof that drug companies paid bribes to other drug companies?”
Yes, which apparently was not difficult as the practice is not illegal. Should be though. Another favorite tactic of the big drug companies is to have their own generic version in waiting for those who won’t be bribed. For the short term they put it on the market for a very low price, low enough that the generic company knows it can’t match because they need to recover their set-up costs. Then once the targeted company has been discouraged from producing the drug, they start jacking up the price again.
He also covers shenanigans by Fannie Mae, Congressional perks, overcharges on student loans, tobacco companies...lots of stuff. Worth buying or hitting the library to find.
I think those Divisions may be dispersed to protect the Oil Industries in the region from the FARC. In particular the Cano Limon fields.
If they need to regroup they leave the Oil fields unprotected and that may be Chavez’s plan.
Yes, which apparently was not difficult as the practice is not illegal. Should be though.
Bribe: money or favor given or promised in order to influence the judgment or conduct of a person in a position of trust
I didn't realize generic drug companies were in a position of trust. So, they pay a generic company to not make a generic version of their drug? Do they pay every generic drug company?
Another favorite tactic of the big drug companies is to have their own generic version in waiting for those who won’t be bribed.
Technically, if they make it, it's not a generic.
For the short term they put it on the market for a very low price, low enough that the generic company knows it can’t match because they need to recover their set-up costs.
If you think the setup cost for a generic is expensive, you should look into the costs to come up with an original drug.
Then once the targeted company has been discouraged from producing the drug, they start jacking up the price again.
At which point, the generic company could profitably start production.
“At which point, the generic company could profitably start production.”
Knowing they would just be undercut again? I doubt it.
Knowing they would just be undercut again? I doubt it.
That must be why there are no generics produced in the US. Oh, wait, never mind.
“That must be why there are no generics produced in the US. Oh, wait, never mind.”
Fortunately not all of the big companies are scum, but still far too many are.
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