Trump gos socialist; embraces Obamacare!

Politics & Elections
1

Our president is a socialist. His latest executive order calls for a policy that is explicitly called socialism by conservative groups.

The order would require “Medicare to pay the same price for prescription drugs as those sold in Europe and other developed nations, which often have lower prices.”

Often called drug capping, conservatives have been having fits since he first suggested it last year.

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/456457-conservatives-buck-trump-over-worries-of-socialist-drug-pricing

Or Grover Nyquist:

The Americans for Tax Reform’s ad begins with President Donald Trump saying, “America will never be a socialist country.”

It then quickly pivots to take aim at the administration.

“You’re right, Mr. President,” the ad continues. “But the Department of Health and Human Services is considering a plan to adopt socialist price controls from foreign countries.”

Wait. It gets better. Where does he get the authority to issue this order? From Obamacare. As the Times article says:

But it is unclear whether the White House has the authority to put the expansive order into effect. And in an odd twist, in calling for the secretary to set up the model programs, the administration is relying on its authority under the Affordable Care Act, which Mr. Trump and his fellow Republicans are trying to overturn in the Supreme Court.

In addition, Rachel Sachs, an associate professor of law at Washington University in St. Louis who covers prescription drug policy, reminded her Twitter followers on Sunday that “in December 2019, the House (led by the Democratic caucus) passed a bill that would’ve used international reference pricing to lower the price of drugs in Medicare.”

“Trump threatened to veto that bill,” she wrote.

Whenever you hear a conservative scream “socialism, socialism, socialism” remind them of this.

BTW, there isn’t a chance in hell any drug price changes will be seen before the election, because there will be a million lawsuits over the order’s legality. And it also is infuriating Big Pharma just when he needs them most. Doesn’t matter. All he wanted was to say “LOWER DRUG PRICES… FAST!” in all caps on Twitter. It’s a September surprise.

2

Maybe I’m misunderstanding what happens but European countries being able to negotiate cheaper prices isn’t socialism. They are negotiating cheaper prices by refusing to buy them at higher prices. Isn’t that more like capitalism?

3

It’s completely consistent with conservative values to go full communist once every four years to get elected.

4

It obviously isn’t socialism - it’s just a dig at conservatives who say anything that hurts big business is socialism.

5

When it comes to the right wing definitions to all things socialistic and/or communistic begin with “When a Democrat…”

6

Right. Anything the government decides is socialism, unless the government is Republican.

7

And most notably, the “makin’ sh*t up” R/W media will trumpet this as a done deal that Trump accomplished, all evidence to the contrary. The MAGA base will start spouting this as another in a long list of (not real) achievements.

8

Just reading what Exapno_Mapcase wrote, it sounds like we’re talking about a price ceiling in a capitalist economy. Calling this socialism indicates ignorance. The proper scaremongering term is “interventionalist”.

~Max

9

We all know this aint going anywhere. Pure electioneering. Here in Canada the governments negotiate drug prices and no one calls it socialism.

10

No one in Canada, maybe…

~Max

11

No it isn’t. The drug companies can charge whatever they want, its just that Medicare won’t buy it at that price. If I find my local Supermarket is charging my neighbor $4.00/lb for hamburger and charging me $20/lb, is it price fixing for me to say no thanks?

12

Or searing sarcasm. Potato/Potato know what I’m sayin?

13

Very well. Effectively a price ceiling in a capitalist economy. I feel like it is common knowledge that Medicare controls almost all of the demand, either directly through its beneficiaries/part D sponsors, or indirectly as most commercial insurers set their rates at a percentage of the Medicare rates.

~Max

14

Agree w Max here.

Medicare is a bit like the Pentagon; they’re both monopsony buyers. Which means by and large they dictate the price, not the seller. Neither is there a parity of power and therefore a straightforward price negotiation among equals.