Re: Canadian doctors coming to the US

From: Herman Rubin (hrubin_at_odds.stat.purdue.edu)
Date: 08/29/04 

Date: 28 Aug 2004 20:05:39 -0500

In article <41309b16$0$18253$79c14f64@nan-newsreader-05.noos.net>,
Lictor <ghostmlNOSPAM-REMOVE@online.fr> wrote:
>"Steve Harris sbharris@ROMAN9.netcom.com" <sbharris@ix.netcom.com> wrote in
>message news:79cf0a8.0408271437.492111bc@posting.google.com...
>> I've got some shocking news for you, you poor dear innocent things.
>> The decision of what particular drug you take for your illness is in
>> many cases a lot like the decision of what kind of food to eat, or car
>> to drive.

>I don't drive a car, as I can afford not to, thanks to a good public
>transport policy.

There is no such thing as a "good public transport policy"
at this time. It should be private enterprise, with NO
support from drivers or other taxpayers. Anyone whose
waiting time is that worthless is not likely to be one
whose judgment can be trusted, anyhow.

>The problem is that I can make my own decision. I don't need to be treated
>by a kid by some ads that think they can try to bully me into buying their
>drugs.

But you are willing for the government to restrict the
drugs you can buy. Those ads give more information about
the nasty side effects than you are likely to get from
most physicians. Few physicians understand the dangers
of the drugs they prescribe.

        The problem is that, if I lived in the USA, I would *pay* for these
>ads with buying that drug. And if I compared how much you pay for your drug
>and how much I do pay for the very same drug, I would say these ads are
>worth around 90% of the price of the drug. Now, why would I want to pay that
>much money for something that is not even helpfull in my decision process?
>Actually, for something I have to actively eliminate during my decision
>process...

Competition drives prices down. Governments should not
control anything if it can be helped.

>> The food and the car can kill you also, if you choose"wrongly."

>Yes, but that's my own decision. I'm not forced to buy a car - I actually
>consciously decided not to. Likewise, I'm not forced to buy any kind of
>food. Advertisements should plainly don't exist. I mean, they provide no
>information to help me with taking a decision.

Without advertising, you would not even know of the
existence of the products. If you are relying on the
government for information, you are a total fool. 

-- 
This address is for information only.  I do not claim that these views
are those of the Statistics Department or of Purdue University.
Herman Rubin, Department of Statistics, Purdue University
hrubin@stat.purdue.edu         Phone: (765)494-6054   FAX: (765)494-0558

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