this post was submitted on 07 Dec 2023
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The Biden administration on Thursday asserted its authority to seize the patents of certain costly medications in a new push to slash high drug prices and promote more pharmaceutical competition.

The administration unveiled a framework outlining the factors federal agencies should consider in deciding whether to use a controversial policy, known as march-in rights, to break the patents of drugs that were developed with federal funds but are not widely accessible to the public. For the first time, officials can now factor in a medication’s price — a change that could have big implications for drugmakers depending on how the government uses the powers.

“When drug companies won’t sell taxpayer-funded drugs at reasonable prices, we will be prepared to allow other companies to provide those drugs for less,” White House National Economic Advisor Lael Brainard said during a call with reporters Wednesday.

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[–] paultimate14 257 points 7 months ago (16 children)

I'm probably going to get downvoted for this, but the Biden administration has really exceeded my expectations.

[–] Brokkr 107 points 7 months ago (2 children)

They do great work, but they don't market and promote their successes well enough. I would prefer a society that favors humility more and therefore appreciate this administration's style, but it seems that a lack of hubris is now considered a fault in the public eye, on both sides of the aisle.

[–] psychothumbs 69 points 7 months ago (2 children)

I think that's more the media's fault than the administration's.

[–] frunch 39 points 7 months ago (1 children)

American citizens slammed with lower drug and education costs

--there, now the media can run with it lol

[–] Broken_Monitor 8 points 7 months ago (1 children)

SLAM! As an American I demand more slams! Slam everything! Slam Trump! Slam Biden! Slam medicare! Slam insurance policies! Slam portmanteaus! Slam Bidenomics! Slam Obama care!

SLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[–] [email protected] 6 points 7 months ago (1 children)
[–] Touching_Grass 1 points 7 months ago
[–] EatYouWell 8 points 7 months ago

Good news doesn't get views.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I would like an administration whose flamboyant about their successes so I know what to expect in my daily life when it comes to politics aka why I see more EVs (rebates funding and a federal charging grid), lower/higher prices on things (like Biden removing patents to create competition) and even insurrectionists going to jail (if we had a working justice system)!

[–] [email protected] 13 points 7 months ago

A big part of the problem is that so much of this is "basic human decency"

Like... people who commit violent insurrection are going to jail. That should not be a news story.

And the EV rebates and improved infrastructure were part of the big IRA (hee hee) bill that did get a lot of eyes. But stuff like futzing with patents actually will piss off a lot of voters who think they are one good day away from being the head of a pharmaceuticals empire (and then they can tell their manager at the Dairy Queen to suck it).

And then you have the problem of the base. Most of the Biden Admin threads inevitably include someone complaining that they haven't fixed student loan debt yet (although, a lot of progress was made on that like yesterday?). Because Democrats actually want things. I want a better social safety net and UBI experiments before it is too late (spoiler: it already is). Maybe you want all student loan debt to be erased. Jill over there wants... basic human rights (okay, I want that too).

But every time there is a win in one category, it just makes people angry THEY didn't get the win and we start getting the "Biden needs to earn my vote" stupidity.

[–] [email protected] 48 points 7 months ago

No, I feel the same way. It's just that they've also utterly sucked in some areas too. Regardless, you know I'm hella voting for him because wtf else am I gonna do? There's no choice in our political system so I'll do what I need to.

[–] [email protected] 32 points 7 months ago (3 children)

It really annoys me when they Biden has done nothing.

Then they're all, "well I didn't hear about it"

I get that the media and even the Dems suck at showing people what they've accomplished, but that doesn't mean they've done nothing.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 7 months ago

It's that usual right-wing thing, where their opponent is simultaneously an idiot who does nothing, and also a scheming mastermind who's responsible for all the trouble in the world depending on which way the wind's blowing.

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[–] agent_flounder 30 points 7 months ago (1 children)

No disagreements here. I am kind of shocked by this very non neolib behavior—the above as well as well as being the first sitting president to join the UAW picket line. I was a bit miffed about the train strike, though. But his administration lobbied the companies and got them their sick days they've been fighting for, for ages. Really didn't expect any of that.

[–] [email protected] 25 points 7 months ago

Yeah he wasn't my first choice but I was fine voting for him and his administration has definitely beat expectations. Pretty nice what having capable people in your administration can do for your presidency. Not just scandal after scandal and departure after departure like the previous shitshow.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

I wish media would give credit to the organization leaders responsible for these types of moves rather than crediting a homogeneous "Biden administration." The fact is that the administration does deserve credit for employing a number of "progressive" (read: competent) administrators, but those departments compose a progressive wing of the administration that is not on par with some of the overall administration's more centrist leanings.

Personnel are policy, something that the Biden administration has proved again and again since the 2020 election. Biden himself is a kind of empty vessel into which different wings of the Democratic party pour their will, yielding a strange brew of appointments both great and terrible.

-- Cory Doctorow

[–] RubberElectrons 1 points 7 months ago

You know, I never really thought about this, you make a good point.

Also, I notice so many people mentioning Cory Doctorow lately, what's up with that? His oddly spelled lay name is even in my phone's autocorrect! All small hints of a certain fascination with him.

[–] silverbax 9 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (2 children)

Every time there's a bunch of commenters talking about how little they like Biden (or his administration) for 'not doing enough', I know:

  • that person almost certainly does not actually vote
  • that person does not pay attention to politics, they just repeat what they've seen on social media, which is their own echo chamber.

How do I know they don't vote? Because they are too lazy to even be up to date via Google on the political opinions they post - they certainly aren't going to bother to actually leave their house and vote.

That said, the Biden administration might do well to be more bombastic with their statements about their successes. I don't love the idea that the merit of a success would need to be 'sold', but you have the GOP screaming idiot things all over the media sphere every single day, and that has to be competed with.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago

The only point of disagreement I have is that it's been demonstrated that the Internet doesn't promote echo chambers, it does quite the opposite in fact.

The problem it introduces is that people are constantly exposed against their will to opposing viewpoints curated to make them as angry as possible.

This results in them becoming explosively volatile towards those opposing viewpoints even in moderated or even well justified forms because they have learned to associate any opposing opinions with the algorithm selected ultra aggro version they just had a knock down drag out hundred comment chain argument with someone a day ago.

IRL you just disregard the fucker and move on, the internet is teaching people to see everyone who disagrees with you as that fucker laying in wait to instigate yet another knock down drag out argument where you feel like you're losing your mind talking to a wall that insists the sky is orange and that climate policy is communism because soylent green burgers or whatever.

Then there's the additional problem of when a significant portion of the people trying to sound reasonable on the internet turn out to actually be that fucker out to instigate because they want to make you look crazy for how mad you get at their bullshit while they calmly explain that "it isn't unreasonable to expect a politician to earn your vote!"

It's rhetorical strategies within rhetorical strategies all designed to keep you under a constant feeling of being attacked.

[–] agent_flounder 1 points 7 months ago

It's also possible they are not legally allowed to vote in the US for one or another reason...

[–] Blackbeard 8 points 7 months ago (3 children)

Amen to that. It's a shame the left doesn't have a shameless media ecosystem that can produce a 24/7 cacophony of propaganda to amplify this kind of stuff.

[–] agent_flounder 3 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I'm not sure brainwashing is the right way to go here idk 🤔

[–] Blackbeard 0 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I'm pretty sure there's a significant difference between marketing and brainwashing. And I'm also pretty sure you already knew that.

[–] agent_flounder 4 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

We don't need a Fox "news" equivalent for Democrats that pumps out propaganda (your term used above) and traps Democrats into an echo chamber.

I mean we already have some fairly biased left leaning news outlets. Nothing like Fox or OANN or Breitbart.

Still, I would like to get rid of heavily biased propaganda outlets because -- yes -- they basically brainwash their listers with various techniques.

[–] Blackbeard 1 points 7 months ago

Good for you, living in that fantasy land. Let me know how it works out for you in 50 years.

Meanwhile, on Earth, I'll continue to believe that there are tools at our disposal, and that we should use them.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago (1 children)

They do, it's just that that ecosystem is owned by the same vested interests and so it churns a cacaphony of criticism aimed at making the left feel no accomplishment is good enough and no effort is far enough.

[–] Blackbeard 1 points 7 months ago

Ain't that the damned truth.

[–] ABCDE 0 points 7 months ago

Democrats are not left.

[–] Cheems 6 points 7 months ago

That's what I keep saying. Despite the bar being extremely low due to the previous administration and the whole "nothing fundamentally will change" my expectations have definitely been exceeded

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago

I slightly agree. But more that nothing has been done yet aside from clarifying vague wording in legislation.

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