GM is taking on billions of dollars in debt despite recent price discounts and no-interest financing offers. The reason? Mounting pension and health care costs for its retired workers.
The company’s pension is $19 billion underfunded, and the gap is threatening to widen as drug prices and health care costs grow ever higher. While the pension costs are forcing GM--and by default, other U.S. automakers--to slash prices, ultimately vehicle prices will rise to help automakers improve profits and stay competitive.
The Washington Post June 24, 2003
The huge profits sought by drug companies have profound impacts on the economy, as evidenced by their impact on something seemingly unrelated--car prices.
Drug companies are the most powerful industry in the United States. Their grasp is far-reaching and it seems that very few aspects of the U.S. economy are unaffected. They also have a major influence on the majority of studies published and nearly all of medical education. This influence is what causes physicians to use their expensive symptomatic Band-Aids as solutions for people's problems.
A large part of the reason why the drug companies have been able to get away with their outrageous prices is that the vast majority of people do not pay for their medications directly anymore. Insurance companies are picking up the tab.
Admittedly, it will be a tough battle, but I am firmly convinced that the drug companies can be defeated and the average consumer can be educated to wake up to the truth about how they can improve their health. Check out my nutrition plan for some advice on how to get started.
Intuitively nearly everyone realizes that using a drug is rarely solving the foundational cause of the problem.
With time, and with your help and the Internet, I believe the transformation of the traditional paradigm will be complete. I encourage you to share this article with a friend (use the ‘E-mail to a Friend’ feature located at the top and bottom of this page) to spread the word to as many people as possible.
The system is desperately broken and in need of a change. We cannot spend over $1 trillion for health care just to improve profits for drug companies. We have the capital to more than adequately treat nearly all people. It is just a matter of shifting our priorities and perspectives.
If you want to further understand how corporations--and government--manipulate science and the media by preying upon the public trust--and you want to know how to protect yourself--I highly recommend the book Trust Us, We're Experts. It is truly one of those books that all Americans should read, and would make an important gift for any young adult who wants to maintain control over him or herself as they enter "the real world."
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