Should Viagra be a federally funded medication?

[opebo]

Where does that money come from? Taxes. And guess who pays the most taxes. The rich - a group that includes your family. But, since we absolutely MUST provide this crap, we might as well tax the hell out of inheritance, as you sure as hell don't deserve a dime of your parents money. I think a 90% rate would be fair, don't you?

Well, I think it would be reasonable for most people to vote for such a thing.  However, as I said above, the idea would to harness capitalism - by letting it exist and be productive, while not overwhelming it with taxation and ending up with socialism.  I suspect 90% might be actually high enough to reduce overall income (see, I believe in the Laffer curve, just at higher levels).   But if I lived in a society where I had no fear of ever experiencing economic deprivation, I would have no problem with paying a higher inheritance tax.  

Yeah, you just won't be able to go to Thailand - you'll have to stay in the U.S. to receive your benefits.

Why should you have to stay in the US to recieve benefits?  Benfits should follow the citizen, not the location.  Thailand is full of European retirees collecting their pensions.  I believe there are quite a few Americans living similarly in Mexico.

Opebo, you couldn't afford it on welfare, duh! And pensions are for people who work, dummy.

I was referring to government pensions - presumably in some countries the unemployed are allowed money in old age.  As for welfare, I do not know what the monthly stipend is in civilized countries.  Certainly very few people are allowed to recieve it in the US, and the monthly amounts are horrendously low.

As for affording it.. one could live on $1,000/month quite pleasantly there.  I myself rarely spend more than $2,000 (I blow most of my money on trips, not my actual monthly bills).

[John Dibble]

Where does that money come from? Taxes. And guess who pays the most taxes. The rich - a group that includes your family. But, since we absolutely MUST provide this crap, we might as well tax the hell out of inheritance, as you sure as hell don't deserve a dime of your parents money. I think a 90% rate would be fair, don't you?

Well, I think it would be reasonable for most people to vote for such a thing.  However, as I said above, the idea would to harness capitalism - by letting it exist and be productive, while not overwhelming it with taxation and ending up with socialism.  I suspect 90% might be actually high enough to reduce overall income (see, I believe in the Laffer curve, just at higher levels).   But if I lived in a society where I had no fear of ever experiencing economic deprivation, I would have no problem with paying a higher inheritance tax.  

Yeah, you just won't be able to go to Thailand - you'll have to stay in the U.S. to receive your benefits.

Why should you have to stay in the US to recieve benefits?  Benfits should follow the citizen, not the location.  Thailand is full of European retirees collecting their pensions.  I believe there are quite a few Americans living similarly in Mexico.

Opebo, you couldn't afford it on welfare, duh! And pensions are for people who work, dummy.

I was referring to government pensions - presumably in some countries the unemployed are allowed money in old age.  As for welfare, I do not know what the monthly stipend is in civilized countries.  Certainly very few people are allowed to recieve it in the US, and the monthly amounts are horrendously low.

As for affording it.. one could live on $1,000/month quite pleasantly there.  I myself rarely spend more than $2,000 (I blow most of my money on trips, not my actual monthly bills).

Well why would the government pay to keep you on a permanent vacation? Seriously - answer that. What possible reason would they have to do that?

Also, if I'm not mistaken you actually have to pay something into those government pensions.

[Jake]

You can actually get trial packs of Viagra at your doctor's office. When I was in there today I saw a cabinet full of free smaples.

Yes, that is how the drug companies lure people in.  I assure you free samples are only to get you started, on any drug.

Thing is, they are free, for as long as you want them.

[opebo]

Well why would the government pay to keep you on a permanent vacation? Seriously - answer that. What possible reason would they have to do that?

Who is 'they'?  I thought in a democracy the government was the people.  I presume they would vote for some free time for themselves.

[opebo]

You can actually get trial packs of Viagra at your doctor's office. When I was in there today I saw a cabinet full of free smaples.

Yes, that is how the drug companies lure people in.  I assure you free samples are only to get you started, on any drug.

Thing is, they are free, for as long as you want them.

You mean to say I can simply walk into any doctor's office and collect all the free medication I need?  And do so again and again, without ever having to buy anything?   

[John Dibble]

Well why would the government pay to keep you on a permanent vacation? Seriously - answer that. What possible reason would they have to do that?

Who is 'they'?  I thought in a democracy the government was the people.  I presume they would vote for some free time for themselves.

The people want a working economy - paying people like you their hard earned bucks to play all day isn't going to make things work, it's just going to make more and more people lazy so they can get on the government no-work payroll until there's too many to support and not enough goods produced to support them. And spending all year in Thailand is not 'some' free time.

Also, we're a republic - learn the difference between that and a pure democracy.

[Jake]

You can actually get trial packs of Viagra at your doctor's office. When I was in there today I saw a cabinet full of free smaples.

Yes, that is how the drug companies lure people in.  I assure you free samples are only to get you started, on any drug.

Thing is, they are free, for as long as you want them.

You mean to say I can simply walk into any doctor's office and collect all the free medication I need?  And do so again and again, without ever having to buy anything?   

For Viagra, as long as you continue to request it, my doctor continues to hand it out. They get it free anyway.

[King]

I don't think "not being able to get it up" is a life-and-death situation.

Yes, you kill your family name!

[opebo]

You can actually get trial packs of Viagra at your doctor's office. When I was in there today I saw a cabinet full of free smaples.

Yes, that is how the drug companies lure people in.  I assure you free samples are only to get you started, on any drug.

Thing is, they are free, for as long as you want them.

You mean to say I can simply walk into any doctor's office and collect all the free medication I need?  And do so again and again, without ever having to buy anything?   

For Viagra, as long as you continue to request it, my doctor continues to hand it out. They get it free anyway.

Wow!  Makes you wonder why there is all this debate about health care, since apparentely it is free already!

Oh wait you have to pay your doctor, eh?

[David S]

This brings new meaning to the phrase: "if you keep doing that you'll go blind."

FDA Looking Into Blindness-ED Drug Link
Friday, May 27, 2005 12:58 PM EDT
The Associated Press
By LAURAN NEERGAARD

Federal health officials are investigating rare reports of blindness among some men using Viagra and other impotence drugs _ but caution that this type of vision loss also is linked to the same illnesses that lead to impotence.