President Biden’s victory over Donald Trump was an upset to millions of Americans. It lead to recounts in several states and the infamous capitol riots in January. Biden ran on a platform of bringing the country back together again, and reaching across the aisle to get things done. Whoever said Trump divided the country in the first place? This sounded like a message trumpeted by the democratic party and corporate media that Trump largely ignored during his four years in office. However, Trump did get things done and you always knew where he stood on issues, good or bad. In October Trump struck an $8 billion opioid settlement with Purdue Pharma, which was designed to get monies into communities for treatment and prevention for the opioid epidemic.
Trump’s move was not popular with New York Attorney General Letitia James and Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, who wanted the Sacklers to pay more and admit wrongdoing. Trump’s bold stroke created a pathway for the $26 billion opioid settlement between the states, Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) and the big opioid distributors. The deal also helped change the focus from litigation to treatment and prevention, and what is actually driving the opioid epidemic. Drug overdose deaths for the last 12 months through April 2020 exceeded 100,000 – another record. It exposed the narrative that prescription opioids are driving the opioid epidemic as a lie, and exposed opioid litigation as simply a shakedown of big pharma.
We may not be able to beat back the opioid crisis or make more opioids available to those with chronic pain until the opioid hoax is exposed, and litigation is stopped. Washington state, Nevada, Georgia, and West Virginia still have opioid lawsuits pending; Chicago and San Francisco have opioid lawsuits coming up shortly. Recent rulings in California and Oklahoma poked holes in the opioid hoax. Governor-elect Al Bartell of Georgia could be the one policymaker to end the hoax for good. At the 22:00 minute mark of the following video, Governor Bartell could be the politician that could put an end to fake opioid lawsuits:
Shock Exchange: A key issue that the corporate media isn’t covering are key details of the opioid epidemic … There seems to be a turning of the tide from a legal standpoint … The AG from Nevada, Aaron Ford, could potentially lose $240 million by not signing onto the $26 billion opioid settlement that was offered back in June. And I don’t think it’s really well-talked about in the corporate media. At least six states didn’t sign, including Georgia, West Virginia, Nevada, Washington state, Oklahoma …
I think Washington state passed on $540 million, and they’re in court now suing the opioid distributors. Are you aware of how much Georgia has passed on and is the public in Georgia really aware of this?
Governor Bartell: The people on the street, the everyday person, is not aware of that. All they see is they resisted government money. And then the private sector is so ingrained in the design of media management campaigns, they’re not worried about being sued … they are so ingrained in the political machinery … The everyday person is not aware of this … The prolific distribution of opioids is a crisis, but it is not inside of the political marketing strategy. The private sector is driving the political marketing strategy, and the theories about states’ rights at all cost is driving the power base …
The question becomes, ‘Do you have a candidate, can you find a candidate who is willing to talk about this, make this the mainstream of his or her campaign and educate the American public? Georgia is the epicenter of that and I’m willing to do that in Georgia.’
States continue to drag out opioid litigation and refuse to settle. It is a complete waste of the public’s time and money. Meanwhile, millions are in chronic pain and cannot get access to opioids.
The CDC has recommended a cut back in opioid prescriptions, consistent with the opioid hoax created by Andrew Kolodny, state AGs and the corporate media. This issue could decide political races in Georgia and across the country.
