via Jim Hightower
No longer too way back, e book burning was once thought to be a celebratory workforce process via right-wing radicals. Nowadays, alternatively, Kindle feels very out of date and neatly… unsophisticated.
Nonetheless, the concept that is heating up greater than ever amongst a grasp of testosterone-driven Republican leaders keen to turn citizens that they’re going to pass to excessive lengths to flaunt revolutionary concepts and other people’s non-public liberties. As an alternative of lighting fixtures bonfires, alternatively, the brand new fad for GOP politicians is to easily use govt energy to prohibit objectionable books (thus saving the expense of suits and lighter fluid).
It won’t marvel you to be informed that extremist political activists from our Lone Celebrity State are main lately’s book-banning frenzy.
One Jonathan Mitchell, for instance, goes from the town to the town getting Texas Republican officeholders to move native ordinances classified “secure library patron coverage.” Sure, Guardians, censoring what you’ll be able to learn is essential to “offer protection to” you. The GOP ban prohibits libraries from conserving books, movies, and so forth. that include “immoral subject matter,” which it defines as nudity, sexual conduct, references to masturbation, LGBTQ+ lifestyles, and so forth. to show LGBTQ flags and even to say “LGBTQ Delight Month”.
It hammers even deeper into our freedom of expression via concocting the “authority” of right-wing vigilantes to implement repressive monomania ordinances. Sure, self-appointed bands of bounty hunters will probably be approved to roam the nation-state prosecuting native libraries (and particular person librarians) for having “banned” books at the cabinets.
To gasoline this political vendetta, Mitchell’s plan gives a $10,000 praise for each and every violation {that a} vigilante reveals (or fabricates).
Smartly, you assert, thank god I do not reside in Texas! However — Hi! – Daman does no longer acknowledge state borders, so the pernicious concept of paid library robbers is spreading during the rustic. To assist offer protection to your freedom from them, consult with the American Library Affiliation: ala.org.
How Scandalous Are Giant Pharma’s Insulin Worth Gaugers?
Profiteering is all the time dangerous, however there are levels of profiteering. Degree 1 comprises your on a regular basis pricing like banks and airways. At stage 2, you can in finding extra nefarious organizations like mortgage sharks and faculty benefit hunters. Then, on most sensible of the stack on stage 3, you can in finding Eli Lilly.
This $288 billion drugmaking colossus is The united states’s number one peddler of insulin, the diabetes drug that some seven million American citizens should take continuously to live on.
Having each monopoly energy in the marketplace and this kind of huge base of captive shoppers, Lilly has luckily raised its costs many times over 3 a long time, with insulin now costing each and every sufferer up to $1,000 a month!
In any case, below intense political force to prevent its excessive, life-threatening hoarding, Vishal just lately introduced that it will quickly be chopping the cost of its insulin via a whopping 70%! In full-page advertisements, Lilly praised its company generosity, liberally pointing out that “everybody merits reasonably priced choices.”
However — Hi! – It has intentionally charged unaffordable scam costs for 30 years, reaping monopoly income. And — Hi! Once more — if Lilly says it may well make a benefit on its insulin product regardless of a 70% relief in worth, that suggests it’s these days charging sufferers 70% extra! But, its rich executives need us to thank them? No, thanks.
Regardless of the fee lower, they’re nonetheless charging $66 for a vial of insulin. Bet what? It prices Lilly not up to $7 to supply that vial, and it may be offered profitably for less than $9.
Within the intervening time, observe that the fee lower is voluntary, which means that Lilly can elevate the fee once more at any time. Certainly, David Ricks (who individually makes $19 million a yr from profiteering) has refused to pledge that he’ll stay the drug reasonably priced.
Populist creator, public speaker and radio commentator Jim Hightower writes “The Hightower Lowdown,” a per thirty days publication chronicling the continuing struggles via the typical other people of The united states towards plutocratic elite rule. Join at HightowerLowdown.org.