Fabs first let me congratulate you on the new young'un. Short nights and long days are here for certain... Now then...
I think the short nights are clouding your judgement a bit. Just a bit though. You are right Americans don't take care of themselves and expect a pill to fix them. Americans are also big TV and radio junkies. They believe the advertisements about all these drugs that the drug companies are pushing. Those ads tell them that a pill will fix them..from ugly toenails to cervical cancer now. Don't get me wrong I think these drugs are necessary in some cases but all this stuff they are pushing? The drug companies have developed some great drugs to help people to live longer...longer..... Not better.. Longer means more medical problems and more money for the drug companies to take care of the other problems that crop up...Keep the profit margins high and get people living longer and the future looks great for drug companies. Oh and then there are the people who have the congenital problems that all people have. I am a diabetic. Do I choose it. No of course not. Luckily I do not have to take insulin and hope I never do but the odds are I will have to. I am trying to watch my diet now and am able to keep the diabetes under control with a bit of medication. When I first contracted it diet was all I needed. It just gets worse...not better. And that is the way of other medical problems. Age makes for more problems and people can live longer because of some of these medications. This is what is called a vicious circle..one breeding on the other..
Another thing..do you think that the medications sold in Canada and Austrailia are made there. I think most are made in the US. The profit margin is SO high that they can afford to sell in places where there are price controls. Not saying that some of the drugs aren't made in other countries..Just that if they are made there and sold here they still have to meet the same conditions. Can't just blame it all on the people but you are right..a lot of the blame can be placed on us.
And I surely do NOT want socialized medicine. Canadians have to wait weeks for some procedures that are done the next day here. An awful lot of Canadians come to the US for their medical conditions. Should we deny them the use of doctors and procedure here in the US just because they find it necessary to come here. This is what the drug companies want to do to the US citizens going to Canada for their meds.
Now I just want to say I'm glad it turned out that young'un was a girl. In about 16 yrs or so You'll understand what I mean when I say that. I know you are both proud of that young'un. Also..grandmothers are crazy. You'll see
