this guy never gives up

[radfringe]

yep, the republican co-worker was yammering at me again. Have to admire his tenacity and tunnel vision though...

he came up to me yesterday and yammered about prescription drugs, i.e. unsafe to buy drugs from Canada

I asked him these questions:

mr: "So, you are saying drugs from Canada are unsafe? These are suppose to be the same drugs we buy here in the US from the same companies. By saying Canadian drugs are unsafe are you implying that drug companies are making two versions? A safe version for US markets and an UNSAFE version for other countries?"

Him: ummmm

me: If this is the case, and given the amount of products that are imported into the US, and that many drug companies have several production sites across the world - how do we know that the drugs we buy here are actually made here? To increase profits etc., isn't entirely possible that drug companies are actually selling the UNSAFE version to us? Does the bottle or pills have MADE IN USA stamped on them?

him: ummmm

me: think about it -meanwhile what do you think about the message coming out of DC about deficits are good?

him: ummmm

me: well, consider this -- the democratic party has been labeled as the tax and spend party. The screaming a few years ago about deficits came down to blaming "spend thrift" democrats. right?

him: yes, that's all they do is tax and spend, puts us in debt

me: (smiling) but the republicans are now saying deficits are good for our economy -- so why do we want fiscal responsibility from the republicans? What we really want in office is a party that can really send deficits to the moon and beyond

[KissMyAsscroft]

1. Im sure its annoying on both sides.

People know my basic political views, and I try to correct egregious lies about my positions but other than that I generally don't talk about politics with people because it just pisses me off at how clueless and braindead most people are on the issues.

[radfringe]

2. I'm on pretty good terms with this guy

so discussions don't go beyond "verbal sparring"..

He refers to me as a tree-hugger, and I refer to him as a bush*-hugger

[yorgatron]

3. you better be careful about all that logic

you're throwing his way,his brain might explode!

[Vernunft II]

4. He´s asking you questions because he´s searching an alternative

Even the most hardcore Bushista must feel discomfort by now. Every time something doesn´t add up for him he comes and basically asks your opinion. Of course his self respect forbids him to come over but that fact that he asks and spars with you shows that he´s thinking.

[radfringe]

5. You could be right

didn't think of it along those lines...

in any event - I try not to tell him he's full of it, I just ask him questions to give him something to think about and hope his brain neurons don't become herniated

[Vernunft II]

8. That´s a good strategy

Since he keeps coming back for more I´d say it works well.

[James T. Kirk]

6. Let's go with wherever drugs are cheapest!

I'll bet drugs are even cheaper in Mexico, and they are the SAME drugs. I know a guy who saved a bundle on asthma inhalers by getting them in Juarez.

[leftchick]

7. The Pentagon purchases drugs from Canada...

and they are given at VA hospitals. I saw this on tv news of all places a few weeks ago.

[kiahzero]

9. Unfortunately, he does have a small point re:drugs

The problem with drug importation is, depending on where you get them from, the middlemen handling the drugs before you get them. There was a Washington Post series about problems with prescription drugs, and one of the articles in the series was about the importation of drugs from Canada or Mexico.

Basically, it's fine so long as you can trust the people you're importing from. But that's not always easy to do.

[sinkingfeeling]

10. After the story about counterfeit drugs being sold in US pharmacies,

I trust the Canadian ones just about as much, if not more. I buy T-3 for my DOG from Canada because of price. Wal-Mart charged $32.00 for 30 tablets...my dog needs 6 tablets per day.. and I get 600 tablets from Canada for around $71. Of course, our dropping US dollar isn't helping either.