The U.S. and New Zealand are the only indust. nation allowing direct marketing to consumers!

Pharmaceutical Payola -- Drug Marketing to Doctors

In the meantime, a ban on Pharma gifts to doctors would be a modest step forward. In the United States, notes Petersen, "radio disc jockeys can't take cash from music companies. But when it comes to something like medicines -- which mean life or death for people -- doctors can take as much money as they want from the drug companies. We need a law to stop that."

local politics... please come and and show your support...

another youtube IWW

IWW Documentary...

Its up to us...

...to hold the media accountable. There was a great segment on PBS's news hour...

Paul Sheilds was dead on and I quote his best points below. But its up to us to do something about it. Politicians lie, Politicians pander (on all sides) but its our duty to protect the Republic. If we don't speak out we have to look ourselves in the mirror and realize its our own fault.

Please get innvolved, please write letters to the editor. Also send me links to any good stories, examples of politics of divisiveness, nonsense, or invective. I was shocked at the negativity and also hate of many of the emails that came across my desk at the Georgia Assembly.

If articulate, respectful dialogue is not sustained and rises above the the crassness then we all lose. Share things with me you find, hold others you know (myself included) accountable when we fall short of such standards. Just a quite: Hey thats out of line can go a far way.

Little things like the fact that 40% of our veterans come home disabled in some way and our Presidents Budget has not included the long term costs of taking care of their health--both mental and physical. That should be spoken out loudly against. I'm watching the generation after mine be pulled under every day by our lack of accountability and lazyness.

We are to blame if we don't speak out. I think the condecending tone of Obama's preparitory remarks was a decent question to at the very least question and move on from. But a flag pin?

But there was no more egregious example of sort of the macho-swagger, press-pass, take-no-prisoners prosecutor attitude than asking Senator Obama, "Why don't you wear a flag lapel pin?"

And I'd just give you two quick examples on this, because this is the kind of question -- the explanation to ask? "It's all over the Internet." I mean, so are theories about John Kennedy's assassination and the United States government blowing up the Twin Towers. That's no reason.

I mean, Jim Webb, Democratic senator from Virginia, who was a company commander in the -- Marine company commander in Vietnam and won the Navy Cross, the second-highest award the country can give, the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, and two Purple Hearts, and opposed the war in Iraq, does not wear a lapel pin.

Dick Cheney, who during the 1960s sought and received five deferments to avoid military service and explained that he did so because he had other priorities than military service, supported the war in Iraq and wears a flag lapel pin.

So I guess the question then becomes: Why doesn't -- should it be that why doesn't Jim Webb do it? I mean, this really bothered me. Now...

MARK SHIELDS: Judy, we found out on the Rand report this week that one out of five veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan suffers from post-traumatic stress syndrome or depression, one out of five. That's over 300,000. We have no plan for them as a people.

Now where is the patriotism? I mean, the flag lapel pin, I mean, is so fatuous, is so absolutely silly. I mean, if one wears -- if one is an uncritical supporter of the United States' invasion and occupation of another country, that makes him a patriot and someone who opposes it isn't? And you wear a flag to show that?

MARK SHIELDS: They've [obama and clinton] locked themselves in and they were dishonest, because let's be very frank about it. Judy, we've seen this week the FAA is not working. The Food and Drug Administration says that they can't even begin to test medicines and medical devices. We've had, in addition to that, we've had, today, the Wall Street Journal reported we can't inspect meat that's going into our children's schools.

You know, the federal government needs more resources. It needs more money to do its job. We need to rebuild bridges. We need to rebuild roads. Everybody says that.

I feel sometimes at a loss on how to navigate...

Sometimes I ramble poetical. Sometimes I speak and point more towards the data and empirical side of things. But I often wonder if I travel between the two ways of communicating--the artistic world, and the policy/philosophical world--in an effective manner. Or do I end up creating two many distractions. Some times I feel my artistic/poetic way of just saying what i'm feeling is petty and childish.

On the way out the door my gut fell out from under me and I felt guilty for posting this. It can be read as childish and petty... while it was intended as an attempt to speak of an emotion inside me that I want to be able to express with others who may feel the same way from time to time.

I want people to respect my views, I want to build a network of people with whom I can trust and who can trust me. To navigate this complex world. I don't want people to jump on my blog and have a bad first impression which makes them think I don't have anything productive to say or share.

Even if all I bring is an extra eye keeping up with the Josh Marshall's, Dean Baker's, and Brad Delong's of the world--who are every day teaching me via this wonderous tool--and pass them on to others who may not have the time, inclination, or ability to focus on such things. Then at least that is something.

I guess the question is how do I be true to myself, respectful of others, and coherent in my thinking? How do I build bridges and alliances with many different people from many different perspectives. I think this world is too complex for me to say that there are many important insights to take from people across the spectrum and across human history.

How do I do that, without being a pedantic, verbally assaulting, close minded, and divisive. That kind of crap goes on in politics, and especially prone to go on in the blog world.

I dunno, but I want to get better about being open/receptive/accessible in everything I do--more specifically on this blog.

Does the new media have to stay in the gutter? Or is this one more tool towards a more reflective and wise society?

I hope its the latter--from time to time I feel like I tend to jump the gun and do the former.

Sigh... I guess this is something I grow into learning how to accomplish.

Thoughts on HB 413

crossposted at YDG blog

I don’t think Avery was the only one of us struck by HB 413. The floor debate brought out the worst and the best of the general assembly that day. Some days in the office you have the live feed on as background noise while you go about your work. Some days there are segments of the day where the live feed is the only thing you can focus on–all those pesky tasks and "job responsibilities" seem to want to get put to the side. 413 had all of us in the office glued to our computers.

As a voter I couldn’t help but wonder: why are we even spending time on this issue?

I was appalled listening to Rep. Charlice Byrd say that English is the "language of capitalism" and that keeping the bill from passing was just one "Big government group hug"; that this kind of "state sponsored multi-culturalism... dilutes English and hurts personal responsibility".

I’d hate to be the one to inform her but the language of the markets is one of supply and demand, its one of price, cost, and profit. I’ve been all over the world having spent time in rural places like Valley, Alabama; Rome, Georgia; Mindanao, a providence in the southern Philippine islands; a small market along the road side of some nowhere train crossing in France.

I’ve also spent time in urban metropolises like Los Angeles, Paris, Manila, Berlin.

I’ve seen markets as complex algorithms in the form of graphs charting out bond markets, or housing stats. I’ve seen markets as complex social interactions of producers bringing and bargaining their goods with buyers.

I’ve smelled the stench of an Athens fish market. I’ve seen the sweat on the brow of a hard working farmer in Alabama. I know the beauty of markets, I know the importance of markets; and it makes me mad when leaders in our state use the market system as a bully pulpit for some other issue.

Markets are the same across the globe. And hard work and personal responsibility is the same no matter the language, culture, or class. To make this an issue of personal responsibility or challenging the work ethic of non-english speakers is very disheartening rhetoric to see on the floor of the Georgia General Assembly. In our country we’re taught that hard work gets you rich. Its propaganda, manipulative, and hurts the dialogue we need to get the policies needed for our economy to work for all of us. Kind of along the lines of what billionaire Warren Buffet once said, "If you stick me down in the middle of Bangladesh or Peru, you’ll find out how much this talent is going to produce in the wrong kind of soil."

Mandating that English be the only language that is spoken on any official acts of government has nothing to do with markets and some have done a better job than I pointing out how manipulative making such a claim can be.

Not communicating legal issues about a student in school to their parents in a way that the parent can best understand what’s going on is not a "big government group hug" its protecting and empowering our communities. Its about making sure people aren’t put at risk because they don’t get the proper information communicated to them.

Government is about protecting and empowering. Its about protecting and empowering our citizens, our economy, our state.

I was glad to hear Rep. Doug McKillip speak that day about the impacts on our economy. Situations where we bring in skilled labor be it a driver from the Ukraine who knows his industry and the technology being used, or a Professor from Chile who knows his field. We want our economy to have the best and brightest.

But I was proud to be a Democrat when Rep. Al Williams stepped to the floor and began talking; citing names like William Wilburforce and speaking to the issues of treating other humans with decency and respect. I was so moved I didn’t take notes that well on what he said cause I was jumping up and down saying "he nailed it." To watch a good rhetorical point made, in a poetic and dignified manner on the floor of your state house is a true privilege and pleasure.

When you see mass emails to all the Representatives saying–I kid you not– "Engilish is the language of America"(sic); you worry about what’s going on in our communities, our cities and our counties that has so divided us. I’m glad that 413 was killed that week. But I worry about the underlying issues that make this such a heated issue where the facts at hand are so quickly ignored and the divisiveness and intolerance towards fellow humans is so acceptable.

Conservatives want to make immigration a major issue. Because its a hobgoblin. It divides us and keeps people from working in good faith to create good social policy.

The underlying issues that drive such things are issues that have made me become a proud Democrat. Strengthening our economy, our education system, our communities are policy positions that should make us proud to be Democrats. The votes of support for 413 speak to the need for Democrats like you reading this to get up here and get involved.

We can’t create good social policy without more people getting into the mix. I was saying the other day to someone that I wish I had learned the things I’m learning now at 19 and not 27. But I went on to say that I’m certainly glad I’m learning these things at 27 rather than 37!

Please consider taking some time to intern or help fund other interns, speak with your representatives about issues that matter to you. Build alliances with your friends and neighbors on issues that matter. Network in ways that can respond to the quick nature of policies in the legislature. Roll up your sleeves and sacrifice a little of your time. You’ll learn a lot, you’ll meet some pretty phenomenal citizens who truly care about creating good social policy, and you’ll help be part of the solution rather than part of the problem.

Hey Avery! thanks for stimulating this post...

Here we go...

The election will not be televised. As part of my efforts to get the job of Field Director for a certain unnammed candidates campaign I am kicking off a blog at the Democratic Parties Web Site called Take it Back and an online network called GA 3rd District Grassroots network.

Check it out

As a result. I'll be less active here. But will have lots to tell after November.