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| October 13, 2006 Editor’s Desk by Aaron Selbig, insurgent49 [Editor's
note: I am taking the week off from 'Editor's Desk'. Sorry for any
inconvenience this may cause. Please take the time to check out this
classic column form the past, dated December 2, 2005. This one got me
in a bit of trouble with a friend of mine who happens to suffer from
Restless Leg Syndrome. Sorry, Lisa.]
It’s been a restless week here at Insurgent Headquarters. The other night, my special lady friend and I were sittin’ around, watching the TV box (yeah, we do that every once in a while). During a commercial break, an ad popped up for a new drug. “Awesome”, I thought, “I love these drug ads”. It’s always interesting to see what new diseases the pharmaceutical industry can come up with, and the lengthy lists of side effects (dizziness, nausea, explosive diarrhea, etc.) make for some great TV, as well. Well, they’ve outdone themselves this time. The new disease? Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS). Seriously. Do you ever experience an uncomfortable restless feeling in your legs? Do your legs often feel itchy and weird? Do you have a hard time sleeping at night because of your stupid legs? Don’t worry, folks, the makers of Requip, a new FDA approved medication for RLS, have a solution for you. Thank God. OK, now this is totally out of control. First it was “social anxiety disorder”, then fifty different drugs for erectile dysfunction, and now restless leg syndrome. What next? A new drug for people who are afraid of peas? What about folks who are uncomfortable around Armenians? Where’s the miracle drug for them? And what about restless arms, for cryin’ out loud? This is yet another sign of a pharmaceutical industry that has been allowed to run itself virtually unchecked by the federal government. Did you know that big pharma has the largest lobbying group in Washington, by far? With three lobbyists for every Congressman, that tops even the NRA. And Congress has certainly responded to the pressure (and campaign contributions) coming from the drug companies. Two years ago, they passed legislation prohibiting the FDA from using its purchasing power to lower drug costs. Drug costs which, by the way, are the highest in the developed world. In addition, their marketing reached saturation levels in all medium a long time ago. Merck, for example, has three times as many employees in its marketing department as in R&D. And what do these people do, besides come up with ever more ingenious ways to convince Americans (40 million of whom are uninsured and can hardly afford their products) that they require medication for the disease called “life”? They visit doctors and hospitals, doling out free samples and using whatever means necessary (free meals, trips to exotic locations, and other ‘perks’) to entice them to push their product on patients, whether they need it or not. And guess what, restless leg sufferers? It works. In 2003, Pfizer reported profits at 26% of total sales. Compare that to an average of 4% for successful Fortune 500 companies, and you begin to get the idea. Your restless legs, dysfunctional erections and social anxiety are highly profitable. On its website, Glaxo Smith Klein lays out the possible side effects of Requip: Requip may cause you to fall asleep or feel very sleepy while doing normal activities such as driving; or to faint or feel dizzy, nauseated, or sweaty when you stand up from sitting or lying down. Side effects include nausea, drowsiness, vomiting and dizziness. They forgot ‘indignation’. Aaron Selbig is an activist and media junkie who resides in an undisclosed location in downtown Anchorage. He is the winner of a 2006 Alaska Press Club award for Best Editorial Writing, host of KUDO 1080 AM's 'The Aaron Selbig Show' and a co-founder of Insurgent49. Aaron may be contacted at editor@insurgent49.com |
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October 6, 2006 September 29, 2006 September 22, 2006 September 15, 2006 September 8, 2006 September 1, 2006 August 25, 2006 August 18, 2006 August 11, 2006 August 4, 2006 July 28, 2006 July 21, 2006 July 14, 2006 June 30, 2006 June 23, 2006 June 16, 2006 June 9, 2006 June 2, 2006 May 26, 2006 May 12, 2006 May 5, 2006 April 28, 2006 April 21, 2006 April 14, 2006 April 7, 2006 March 31, 2006 March 24, 2006 March 17, 2006 March 3, 2006 February 24, 2006 February 17, 2006 February 10, 2006 February 3, 2006 January 27, 2006 January 20, 2006 January 13, 2006 January 6, 2006 December 30, 2005 December 23, 2005 December 16, 2005 December 10, 2005 December 2, 2005 November 25, 2005 November 18, 2005 November 11, 2005 November 4, 2005 October 28, 2005 October 21, 2005 October 14, 2005 October 7, 2005 September 30, 2005 September 23, 2005 September 16, 2005 September 9, 2005 September 2, 2005 August 26, 2005 August 19, 2005 August 12, 2005 August 5, 2005 July 29, 2005 July 22, 2005 July 15, 2005 July 8, 2005 July 1, 2005 June 24, 2005 June 17, 2005 June 10, 2005 June 3, 2005 May 27, 2005 May 20, 2005 May 13, 2005 May 6, 2005 April 28, 2005 April 21, 2005 April 14, 2005 April 7, 2005 April 1, 2005 |
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Insurgent Media.
All rights reserved. in-sur-gent (in sur'jent), n. 1. a member of a group which revolts against the policies of its leadership. |
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