(relatively low stakes, as in like not 9/11 or JFK level)

Mine: plastic straw (and now plastic cutlery) ban initiatives are directly funded by petrochemical companies. Plastic straws are one of the most common and useful types of disposable plastic an average American encounters every day, so banning them causes people a huge inconvenience and tarnishes the idea of other green initiatives (that might have actual teeth) as more nanny state "not allowed to have this"-ery (also has the side effect of making gullible libs think they're actually doing something to help the planet by using a reusable straw while they get their plastic container of meat products)

  • GothWhitlam [he/him]
    ·
    4 years ago

    Optometrists will always find something wrong with your eyes so they can sell you glasses. I know it probs isn't true, but I've never been able to shake that feeling.

      • GothWhitlam [he/him]
        ·
        4 years ago

        I have no idea how dental surgery hasn't been socialised in Australia yet. It was my one medical experience that cost me thousands, and it was just to pull some wisdom teeth (something most people have to do at some point). Dentists against the wall?

        • vanityfairz [he/him]
          ·
          4 years ago

          The story I've heard is that it was lobbied against during the formation of medicare by "big dental" (i'm doing air quotes with my fingers as I type this), I think it was an cth post so hopefully someone from Aus crossed over and can explain further.

          • GothWhitlam [he/him]
            ·
            4 years ago

            Oh no, just found out it was Gough all along!

            For real though, looks like "big medical" hated Medicare from day one, doctors and dentists. Gough looked like he picked his battle hoping things would open up in the future.

            • vanityfairz [he/him]
              ·
              4 years ago

              "hoping things would open up in the future.", 6 years on, no one tell his grave

      • PeterTheAverage [he/him]
        ·
        4 years ago

        I did Invisalign with one company but do my cleanings with a dentist who is a family friend. There's been several times where the other company has said I needed some expensive procedure done and when I've gone to the family friend he's laughed and said they're just trying to make money off of me. It really sucks that with so many of these professions that we can't trust them not to take advantage of us.

    • Luciferase [she/her,comrade/them]
      ·
      4 years ago

      I've never been to an optometrist but I've seen psychiatrists do shit like that. I have enough knowledge of chemistry/pharmacology that I can explain why I don't need what they want to prescribe, then they realize they can't fuck with me and they start prefacing every sentence with "I might be wrong about this" or "It's just a suggestion" because they know they can't fool me. I can't imagine what people who haven't gone out of their way to learn about that stuff have to experience because of these doctors. It's disturbing that I need to flex about my chemistry knowledge to prevent doctors from giving me expensive meds I don't need.