Bernie Sanders: Trump Is President Because Media Ignores Reality Of Poverty In America

[Uncle Joe]

My criticism of the media, and I get very angry at this, is they don't deal with that reality.

You know why Donald Trump was elected president? One of the reasons he was elected president is people turn on the TV and nobody is talking about the lives of working class people, black and white and Latino, who are struggling to put food on the table. I don't know how many people are spending 40, 50, 60% of their limited incomes on housing. Who's talking about that? I know a little bit about that.

So, my background shapes what I do politically, so I look around this country and I see -- starting with the little kids. You tell me. This is the wealthiest country in the history of the world, we're seeing a proliferation of billionaires. Why do we have the highest rate of childhood poverty of almost any major country?

Do we talk about it? Far more billionaires, and yet we have approximately 20% of the kids in this country living in poverty. If you live in poverty, the odds are you're not going to do well. If you live in poverty your parents are not going to give you decent childcare. Every psychologist in the world tells us that 0-4 are the most important intellectual and emotional years of a human being's life. We have a dysfunctional childcare system, our public schools are failing.

Not in all communities, some communities are doing great. But in many communities, often minority communities, there are inexperienced teachers, underpaid teachers, families that are dysfunctional, kids that are not doing well. Kids can't go to college because they can't afford it. We have people leaving college deeply in debt, are you one of those?

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2019/04/12/bernie_sanders_trump_is_president_because_media_ignores_reality_of_poverty_in_america.html

[George II]

1. Not even close. trump is president because.................

[Uncle Joe]

3. Because the corporate media conglomerates would rather make bucks pushing

the world's most expensive drugs to the people that most desperately need them.

Just count the number of Big Pharma commercials the next time you view the network news.

Usually the actors in their commercials are smiling and enjoying life as we know it to distract you while they quietly rattle off a number of side effects that do everything but make your penis fall off...if you have one.

[BlueFlorida]

20. Shows misunderstanding of the pharmaceutical industry

1. The drugs are not overpriced. The amount of money that goes in R&D is astronomical as the FDA demands more and more clinical trials.

2. Of some 20 drugs researched, only one gets approval. Hundreds of millions spent on the other 19 are a complete loss.

3. The drugs cost more in the US because US FDA requires far more stringent GMP standards and documentation as well as far more clinical trials. In many countries, a fraction of that is required for approval. In some countries, a drug company can self-certify the safety and efficacy of a product.

4. Those side effects "rattled off" are required by the FDA. Even the most remote side effects have to be reported.

As a whole, the pharma industry doesn't make more profits than the car industry, the construction industry, the communications industry. However, it is a good scapegoat for people like Bernie because people get angry when they pay for any prescription. They are easy to exploit.

[Uncle Joe]

33. They have the exact same drugs at a fraction of the cost.

Bernie even took a group of breast cancer patients to Canada so they afford to get their medicine.

The prescription drug cost hike by Turing Pharmaceuticals from $13.50 to $750 a tablet for Daraprim — a 62-year-old drug treating deadly parasitic infections common among AIDS patients — sparked widespread outrage against the company’s Founder and CEO Martin Shkreli. In response, Mr. Shkreli caved to the pressure of criticisms and announced the cost would be lowered to something more affordable.

Pharmaceutical price gouging is nothing new. A 2001 New York Times article exemplifies Claritin as just one of the drugs abused by the industry to increase profits. Despite working less than half the time in clinical studies, and costing on average $80 per prescription, Claritin is “the most profitable antihistamine of all time, with annual sales of more than $2 billion.” The drug is sold over the counter outside the U.S. from $10 to $15.

For years, the major proponent against pharmaceutical price gouging has been U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, who in 2007 spoke on the senate floor about a bus trip he took with a group of women from Vermont to Canada to purchase affordable medicine for breast cancer.

(snip)

"I will never forget the look on the faces of those women who were struggling for their lives when they bought breast cancer medicine at 10 percent of the cost they were paying in the state of Vermont. The drug was Tamoxifen, a widely prescribed drug for those people who are struggling with breast cancer,” said Senator Sanders. “These women walked in fighting for their lives, many of whom did not have a lot of money. They walked in there and they could not believe, literally could not believe, the cost of that medicine which they needed to keep them alive.”

(snip)


https://observer.com/2015/10/bernie-sanders-and-the-war-on-rising-prescription-drug-costs/

The side effects portion of the commercials are obscured by the visuals, why not actually spell it out so the people can read it instead of speaking in a low voice while actors are romping about for distraction purposes.

You can see men and women smiling and laughing while they simultaneously tell you a list of side effects that include death and that's no joke.

[BlueFlorida]

37. The liability insurance for Canada is less

and the regulatory expenses in Canda are also less.

Apples and oranges.

[Uncle Joe]

38. The same exact drugs, our system is screwed up, that's the point,

more like apples and cyanide.

[BlueFlorida]

39. You don't get it

Product liability laws in the US generate a lot of lawsuits and contingency fees and class action can result in billions in corporate expense. Some new side effect previously not discovered during clinical trials can result in a class action suit with lawyers advertising for plaintiffs who sort of fit the criteria.

One major suit like that can bankrupt a company.

One can spew as much venom as one wants at the pharma companies but without them, there would no new life-saving drugs to help people. Bernie just picks corporations as his favorite whipping post because he has never worked a single day doing valuable research in the pharma or medical field. It just sounds like Bernie is envious of success.

[PatrickforO]

5. I'm intrigued, George. You and I have sparred many times before on this site,

and most of those times have been over something Bernie Sanders has said, done, not said or not done.

I really don't think Bernie can win this time around because he's gotten too curmudgeonly and there are simply too many others who have more charisma talking about the same kitchen table issues I've always advocated - health care, strong social security, high student debt and so on. Stuff working people talk about or worry about. At this point I'm supporting Mayor Pete because he has a good grasp of fiscal and monetary policy, and also a good grasp of kitchen table issues - a sane healthcare plan, and his tax policy is great. Formerly I supported Warren, and still really like her because she gets it about us needing to get rid of the primacy of the shareholder doctrine. I like Harris, Castro, Booker, pretty much the whole field.

I had hoped Bernie would refrain from running this time around, and I had hoped Warren would not, as well. I believe both are needed in the Senate. But both are running.

So here's my question: It seems to me that no matter what is said, if it involves Bernie, you immediately post to put him in the worst possible light. With all due respect, why? What did he ever do to you to earn this much opprobrium? I really do not understand.

Bernie does have some bad points, for sure, but he also has some good. Why do you dislike him so much? What gives?

No need to reply if you don't want to - and no animosity is intended here at all.

[Tom Rinaldo]

6. Whether or not it is THE reason (there are some , let's say, more immediate reasons)

It is a thoughtful point to make. i think Bernie is right about how poorly the media tends to cover the daily reality of most Americans And that sure as hell doesn't help our side.

[lapucelle]

8. Trump is president (in part) because the media ignored...

The Democratic Party platform and message

The Democratic nominee's campaign events in favor of covering the Trump sh*t show

The Democratic nominee's October warning about the Russians

Its responsibility to report objectively, rather than to promote story lines & narratives in an effort to drive ratings.

However, media malfeasance is not the sole reason for Trump's election. There are others that share the responsibility.

[liberal N proud]

29. BoBs

[Mike Nelson]

2. Yes, one of the reasons...

… tho not the only one. Trump gets bigger ratings than ordinary poor people. Him doing or saying something stupid gets attention - and he does it every day.

[Uncle Joe]

4. Trump steaks comes to mind, they gave him a billion dollars in free advertising,

no matter how inane or stupid the event.

[stillcool]

7. the media had plenty to do..

with why Trump is President, but ignoring poverty doesn't come to mind.

[Uncle Joe]

9. It was barely mentioned at all and if you google poverty questions during the 2016 election

you won't find a mention by a corporate media conglomerate at least on the first three pages and perhaps more before Nov. 4th

https://www.google.com/search?q=how+many+question+regarding+poverty+during+2016+election&ei=6IiyXIiFF8iQtQWz2o6ICg&start=0&sa=N&ved=0ahUKEwiIma_Ms87hAhVISK0KHTOtA6E4FBDy0wMIaA&biw=1600&bih=789

[TwilightZone]

10. Economic anxiety? Yeah, no.

We've been down that path. It's not why Trump is president. It was just a convenient excuse for why people voted for a ignorant, racist, incompetent buffoon. They voted for a racist buffoon because they wanted a racist buffoon.

[Uncle Joe]

11. It's not the only reason but it is definitely a valid reason. n/t

[UniteFightBack]

12. That's all I hear is talk about working class people. Pffffffffffffft. nt

[Uncle Joe]

13. Yes, working class people

[sheshe2]

14. Love him to pieces.

However he was a Republican

[Uncle Joe]

16. I don't believe the movie

ever stated George Bailey's partisanship.

[NurseJackie]

17. Oh good grief! Here you go...

http://bfy.tw/NDlg

[Uncle Joe]

19. I said George Bailey not Jimmy Stewart n/t

[NurseJackie]

21. Oh brother! You know good and well that She was talking about the actor.

I said George Bailey not Jimmy Stewart n/t

Oh brother! You know good and well that She was talking about the actor. I think you're smarter than you're pretending to be right now. And I'm smarter than you're giving me credit for.

[Uncle Joe]

22. I believe She knows my post was a movie clip addressing the

slam against working class people.

I didn't post a speech by Jimmy Stewart about his politics but of George Bailey in the movie; It's A Wonderful Life."

I believe that most likely you are smarter than I'm giving you credit for.

[sheshe2]

25. You are correct, Nurse Jackie!

Oh, yep...I googled him as well.

[NurseJackie]

30. People think they can play us for fools.

[sheshe2]

31. IKR

[sheshe2]

24. Aaah.

I was talking about Jimmy Stewart, not the character he was playing. I think I have watched every movie he ever made, bummer he was a Republican.

[Uncle Joe]

26. I liked Jimmy Stewart as well,

it's also a bummer that Abraham Lincoln was a Republican, it would've been nice if he had been a Democrat.

I am thankful that Joe McCarthy was a Republican although unfortunately his influence still seems to be alive today in the good old U.S.A.

[loyalsister]

15. Before his candidacy Trump was selling the dream

A fantasy of being in charge is especially appealing to people who feel economic oppression. While poor and working class people may feel oppressed because they struggle financially, middle class people who think the are opressed because they resent not being wealthy are also attracted to the cathartic power of entertainment media where they can identify with wealth and beat up on the competition.
The media gave him the platform via reality teevee.

[BlueFlorida]

18. lol

Another slogan.

[comradebillyboy]

23. Trump is president because the media didn't push Bernie's agenda in 2016?

The sins of the media are many but that particular issue has nothing to do with Trump's win.

[SHRED]

27. Racist morons

That's the real reason.

[Uncle Joe]

28. That is most definitely

another valid reason SHRED.

[robbedvoter]

32. 🍊 is president because this man wanted him to be

Also, Comey got cocky, the VRA got cocky, and let's not forget all the racism. Just because the Mueller report is buried, does not change what happened. Shame on Burnie for trying to!

[Uncle Joe]

34. Russia had influence as well but Putin's propaganda was greatly aided by the valid points

Bernie makes in the OP.

Too many Americans real concerns had been forgotten or dismissed by the corporate media conglomerates for too long and that's what built up the momentum for change.

[George II]

35. But it wasn't the fault of three people in Sanders' higher echelon of staffers, all three of whom...

....voted for Jill Stein?

Nina Turner
David Sirota
Briahna Joy Gray

[Uncle Joe]

36. That's correct unless those three votes are what turned every upper Mid-Western

state red except for Minnesota and Illinois.

https://www.politico.com/mapdata-2016/2016-election/results/map/president/


There is an easy to read map on the link if you wish to view it.