This Month in Late Capitalism

Submitted by Azazello on Wed, 10/10/2018 - 4:13pm

Transcribed whole from the November, 2018 issue of In These Times magazine and offered without comment.

THIS MONTH IN LATE CAPITALISM

--- After Nostrum Laboratories quadrupled the price of a critical antibiotic to $2,392 per bottle, the company's founder and president, Nirmal Mulye, claimed that charging the highest possible price was a "moral requirement." Makes you think: If "morality" in the private healthcare market puts profits over lives, maybe there shouldn't be a private healthcare market.

--- Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has dipped his toes into philanthropy with a private fund for a chain of preschools where "the child will be the customer." Meanwhile, Amazon paid no federal income tax on its $5.6 billion in profits in 2017. Where's the fund for public schools, Jeff ?

--- Lingerie company Yandy introduced an (unlicensed) "sexy" Handmaid's Tale Halloween costume. In the book and TV series, handmaids are violently oppressed concubines. Following public outcry, Yandy pulled the outfit.

--- Former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is the latest to help crowdfund someone's life-saving medical care, appealing for a former staffer's GoFundMe page for cancer treatment. Here's hoping the ordeal gives Clinton, who in 2016 said single payer would "never, ever come to pass," a change of heart.

--- Insurance company John Hancock, one of the oldest and largest life insurers in North America, has officially stopped offering traditional life insurance, replacing it with "interactive" policies that grant discounts and perks based on tracking customers' health and fitness data. Big Brother is here, and he wants you to get a Fitbit.

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Submitted by dkmich on Wed, 10/10/2018 - 4:49pm

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"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon

Submitted by ggersh on Wed, 10/10/2018 - 4:51pm
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https://www.siliconinvestor.com/readmsg.aspx?msgid=31829225

According to this the rise in rates is bankrupting
European Banks, that is if I read this correctly

The BIS economists led by Robert McCauley note that non-US banks now owe $10.7 trillion in US dollars, most of which reflects the hedging requirements of these global flows. The banks don’t report foreign exchange swaps with their customers on their balance sheets, but the BIS estimates that these obligations amount to $13 or $14 trillion.

The USFor more than one year, international bank regulators and the International Monetary Fund have warned that the banking system no longer can support these enormous flows. The Federal Reserve is tightening liquidity in the US, and in a volatile market, European banks might not be able to roll over nearly $11 trillion of short-term obligations – and might default.

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I never knew that the term "Never Again" only pertained to
those born Jewish

"Antisemite used to be someone who didn't like Jews
now it's someone who Jews don't like"

Heard from Margaret Kimberley

Submitted by leveymg on Wed, 10/10/2018 - 9:48pm

It's called GoFundMe.

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Submitted by Azazello on Wed, 10/10/2018 - 9:52pm
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We wanted decent healthcare, a living wage and free college.
The Democrats gave us Biden and war instead.

Submitted by divineorder on Thu, 10/11/2018 - 8:32am
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A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.

Submitted by MrWebster on Thu, 10/11/2018 - 8:33am

"Hillary Clinton praises NHS after broken toe prevents interviews
Former US presidential candidate says she received ‘excellent care’ from health service after having to rearrange three bookings
//www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/oct/16/hillary-clinton-arrives-too-late...

The NHS in England deals with over 1 million patients every 36 hours. It covers everything, including antenatal screening, routine screenings (such as the NHS Health Check), treatments for long-term conditions, transplants, emergency treatment and end-of-life care.

https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/about-the-nhs/the-nhs/

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