Trumping healthcare: addicted to lies of fake price-fixing pledges; kicking crisis addiction

Trump's Healthcare Plan: A Recipe for Disaster

As the infamous former President Donald Trump emerges from his golf courses and Mar-a-Lago to hit the campaign trail, he unsurprisingly spends his time attacking opponents and spewing vitriol instead of presenting any coherent policy plans.

His recently unveiled Agenda47, separate from the elusive Project 2025, offers a glimpse into his regressive, harmful, and, frankly, dangerous ideas for this country. While slim on healthcare specifics, what Trump has proposed is enough to strike fear into the hearts of anyone who values human lives and basic decency.

Pharmaceutical Production: A Self-Serving Ploy

Trump's idea of bringing pharmaceutical production back to the U.S. is nothing more than a nationalist gimmick. While it's true that we face an uphill battle against for-profit pharmaceutical companies that control our drug supply, Trump's solution is to empower these very companies and blame foreign countries for our woes.

University of Chicago professor Colleen Grogan hits the nail on the head when she says:

"Pharmaceutical companies have a lot of political power... We've told the American people, 'We pay really high drug prices for innovation,'... but it's not true."

Death Penalty for Drug Dealers: A Barbaric Approach

Trump's twisted notion of crime and punishment is on full display in his healthcare agenda. He proposes the death penalty for drug dealers and a return to the racist, ineffective "stop and frisk" policy. This is nothing more than a recipe for further devastating marginalized communities, especially people of color, and filling the pockets of private prison companies.

Attacking Big Pharma Profits: Too Little, Too Late

Trump's plan to get tough on Big Pharma and lower drug prices is a clear attempt to pander to struggling Americans. However, his track record speaks for itself. Remember when Trump announced the "Most Favored Nation" system to reference international drug prices and force transparency in TV ads? Yeah, that was blocked in court, just like most of his other feeble attempts at holding pharma companies accountable.

Meanwhile, the Biden administration's Inflation Reduction Act, which expands Medicare benefits and allows the government to negotiate drug prices, is a step in the right direction. Of course, there's much more to be done, but at least Biden is taking concrete action instead of spewing empty rhetoric.

Drug Addiction Crisis: Punishment Over Treatment

Trump's approach to the drug addiction crisis is predictable and abhorrent. Instead of focusing on treatment and harm reduction, he advocates for crackdowns, death penalties, and empty threats to China. This is the same man who, amidst a devastating opioid crisis, declared a war on drug dealers and touted the building of a useless border wall.

The reality is that addiction is a complex disease, and evidence points to the need for treatment and support, not harsher punishments. Trump's plan is yet another dog whistle to his extremist base, and it will only make the addiction crisis worse.

As we approach the 2024 election, let's not be fooled by Trump's theatrics and empty promises. His healthcare "plans" are a far cry from what this country needs. We cannot afford to go back to the dark days of his administration. Our lives, and the lives of those we love, depend on it.