03.01.18. The Opioid Epidemic

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This week on Middle Theory, the main discussion centers around the opioid crisis and the role that Big Pharma plays in it. Before getting there though, ample time is spent looking at other items in the news.

A range of topics are covered in the opening segment as the fear factor goes through the roof following Vladimir Putin’s claim that Russia has developed a hypersonic nuclear ICBM that can not be stopped by missile defense systems. Moving from the fear of falling bombs to the fear of falling curtains, the discussion moved over to YouTube and their impending threat of censorship of InfoWars and Prison Planet.

As new details continue to emerge in the aftermath of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting two weeks ago, we take a look at a couple big ones. First is the eyewitness report of teacher Stacey Lippel, who had a unique description of the shooter when compared to other notes from survivors. Following the teacher update, we look at a student update with the ongoing saga of Cole Haab and CNN’s alleged scripting of the CNN Town Hall event. Turns out Haab’s father may have been disingenuous about the scripting part. We also give a listen to Marco Rubio’s speech on the senate floor about uniting the house to provide for sensible gun reform.

Moving on to the opioid crisis, we discuss the socio-economic influences and impacts of the ongoing prescription drug epidemic. From a picture of hundreds of used needles to personal reflections from the hosts, we look at the different angles of the human impact that the drug crisis has. On the judicial side, cities are taking action against pharmaceutical companies in hundreds of millions of dollars worth of lawsuits, claiming that Big Pharma has negligently pumped prescription drugs into their communities, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths.

We close the episode with a brief update on the coming Water Wars as Coca Cola and Nestle inch closer to securing private rights to water supplies here on the U.S. mainland… and for just pennies. However, with the ongoing concerns about Cape Town, South Africa, being on the verge of losing all of its drinking water, have these companies been investing all along in the eventuality of scarcity? 

Special thanks to those who supported Middle Theory this week:

• Grimsteak (Minister of Mugs)
• Rick Dale (Professor of Proof Reading) 
• Grimerica (Brothers in Arms)
• Chris Beggio
• EMILIO (EMILIOOO)
• Mark Hankins II 
• Rune Erickson (RUNE) 

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Finally, here are links to stories addressed on this week’s program:

• WELCOME TO THE FUTURE, BRA
• Putin boasts Russia has developed an intercontinental nuclear missile that can’t be stopped or shot down by any country’s defense system
• Former Google exec: AI movie death scenarios ‘one to two decades away’
• Barbra Streisand Cloned Her Dog. For $50,000, You Can Clone Yours.
• Stacey Lippel, teacher at Marjory Stoneman Douglas who was wounded in attack, describes shooter on GMA
• CNN provides proof of Haab father editing email exchange with his son to make the Town Hall event seem more scripted
• RUBE speaks before Senate, discusses gun reform plan
• US Air Force Chief Warns of Space War ‘in a Matter of Years’
• InfoWars’ main YouTube channel is two strikes away from being banned
• MID: THE OPIOID CRISIS
• Excellent, concise summary of the problem on this Reddit thread
• Eye-opening photo from behind a Home Depot shows what the Opioid crisis looks like
• New York City files $500-million lawsuit against 8 major pharma companies, De Blasio says “it’s time for them to pay for what they’ve done (in contributing to the opioid crisis)”
• Coca Cola and Nestle come closer to securing 100-year exclusive rights to Guarani aquifer, the world’s second largest underground freshwater supply
• Cape Town still running dry, wealthy residents drill private wells, the poor sacrifice buying food to buy bottled water