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This is exactly what I’m talking about! I saw it with my own eyes—every single day, there were like 15 or 20 patients or family members just hanging out outside his office waiting to talk. And if you listen to the actual patients swapping stories—not just some random guessing, mind you—at least a third of them showed up with an envelope tucked in their pocket. Even if we just assume a conservative average of maybe $2,000 per person...
The thing is, most of these people weren't exactly swimming in cash. They were taking out loans, hitting up relatives for money, or selling off whatever they could just to scrape together enough for the damn doctor. People who actually have money? They aren't handing bribes to doctors. They just head over to a private clinic like Magdalena or fly out to Italy, Austria, or Switzerland instead...
It’s always the broke ones getting screwed over...
Scott Allen10 said:Regarding the political side of things—I honestly think it’s more likely that the current administration is just trying to tear down the Democratic Party of San Francisco with this whole string of scandals to prep for the upcoming election cycle. I wouldn't even be shocked if that was the actual play here.
Maybe, but Smith doesn't really have anything to do with the Democrats; he's tied to HB, which is basically a fringe party, and anyway, Clinton settled his score with Goldwater a long time ago. I mean, sure, it's possible, but I don't see the point. Honestly, I could see the Democratic Party in San Francisco actually turning this mess into a win for themselves...
Scott Allen10 said:As for Dr. Smith's skills—there isn't a single thing you can point to that justifies calling him "top-tier." He didn't even have any real competition in Washington, D.C., and when you look at cardiac surgery in America, there are plenty of specialists who actually qualify as "elite."
And when it came to surgeries, he only took on patients who already had a great prognosis. Any case that looked even slightly tricky? He just sent them off to Washington, D.C. or simply didn't operate. I guess it's pretty easy to maintain perfect stats and act like a "world-class" surgeon that way.
Yeah, that's a possibility... But the specific case I was talking about was incredibly messy because it was already a second surgery and all that. I also know Smith operated over in Switzerland, Germany... and so on. I suspect he steered clear of the tough cases specifically to protect his numbers, just like you said, rather than because he lacked the skill.
But man, there's one thing I just can't wrap my head around; how does a doctor, with any kind of conscience, just let a patient die???! I truly don't get it. What kind of person are you, to just not care whether someone lives or dies???? I just don't understand... That alone is enough to warrant a long stretch behind bars.
I’m jumping into this thread a little late, I guess, but since I’ve had my own run-ins with Dr. Smith, I feel like I should probably say something...
So, basically, a family member of mine had to have emergency heart surgery a few years back. Since they’d already had one procedure before the war, they were in a pretty high-risk category this time around. Dr. Smith checked them out and decided the surgery was doable but risky—which, okay, wasn't actually the case—but he claimed that for the operation to happen, we needed some really expensive meds... Dr. Smith kept the patient stuck in the hospital for almost two months (on the taxpayer's dime, obviously) just waiting. Waiting for what? Nobody had a clue. He even sent the guy to a spa resort, like that’s where you go to wait for surgery... Well, the patient ended up having a heart attack at the spa and barely made it out alive. Naturally, they had to rush him back to the hospital. I should mention that every time Smith updated us on the patient's status, he’d drop questions like, "So, what do you do for a living? Are you in tourism? Do you rent out vacation rentals?" Since we'd heard Smith was some top-tier specialist who used to work in Germany, it never even crossed our minds to offer him cash. And look, personally, I’m against any kind of bribery, especially when it comes to doctors! One time, it was my turn to sit down for a consultation with him. Since I can't stand anyone trying to pull rank on me, our little chat ended pretty quickly. Dr. Smith is honestly just a total jerk—like, a complete hillbilly who thinks he can talk down to miserable patients and their families, but he couldn't do that with me.
Around then, some acquaintances tipped us off that Dr. Smith doesn't perform a single surgery without $5,000 in a blue envelope! Before I keep going, I need to touch on this text
which I mostly agree with, except for two things. First, the part where the author attacks people who actually pay the bribes!? I’d argue people do it out of pure desperation just to save their lives! Second, the author claims that nobody on the ward knew anything about the bribe-taking!!!!
Either she was living in her own little bubble or she's talking about some other San Francisco, or some other Dr. Smith.... Because the nurses on the ward—even the doctors (one older, one younger)—told us "in confidence" that there wouldn't be an operation without the money. Actually, the younger doctor said, "I mean, you can see he's been holding them in the hospital for two months already, are you guys stupid or just incredibly naive...?"... Honestly, now even I'm wondering.....
Now, whether that young doctor was actually trying to help us or if he's also in on the cash really, I don't know and I don't want to get into it, but the fact remains that everyone—and I mean EVERYONE, not just the ward but the whole hospital—knew about it!
And if people are attacking patients now because they paid bribes or because they didn't report the doctor, I just don't get how all those supposedly "moral" healthcare workers didn't just say, "Enough is enough, I can't do this, I'm reporting the doctor..." ???'
Maybe they had a conscience, but it's always easier to live with a dirty conscience if you just blame everyone else....
Patients in the rooms were actually discussing among themselves how much everyone had handed over to Dr. Smith... After everything, you have to wonder if Dr. Smith ever operated on anyone without taking a kickback....???
One more thought on
The author mentions Smith's political involvement and says there were complaints against him before that were just swept under the rug. Does that mean Dr. Smith (who happens to be the head of the local Democratic Block in San Francisco) has started getting in the way of the traditionally liberal administration in town????
coastalrider94 said:There’s something kinda similar out there—it’s basically this green liqueur that tastes like seaweed or something... I can't even remember the exact name, but I tried it last week... made in Prague, I think😬
the mouthfeel is a little weird, but the flavor is alright, I guess🙂
Some Slavonian plum brandy aged for maybe two years with some fresh "herbs"... then just let it sit for 4-6 months. It's basically medicine!😉
acredo said:HEY GUYS, SO I'M PLAYING IN THE 2ND DIVISION NATIONAL LEAGUE—YOU KNOW, THE AMERICAN-CANADIAN CIRCUIT—AND HONESTLY, IT’S WAY MORE FUN THAN THE 3-MAN LEAGUE. (THE 2ND DIVISION IS 5v5 ON A SPEEDBALL FIELD).
More fun... sure, but it'll also bleed you dry😉
Bryan Jones82 said:....But if someone's smoking every single day, my take on them is pretty much the same as someone who drinks every damn day....
Everything else is fine, I guess, but I can't really get behind that one part. If you just puff on a joint once a night to wind down—you know, just to chill—it’s basically the same as having a beer. But if you're getting absolutely trashed on drugs every single day? Well, then you're basically just an alcoholic, I suppose.👍
It all comes back to moderation, obviously. Having one smoke a day isn't gonna wreck anyone, but if you're totally wasted every day, you eventually just lose touch with reality...😉
Anthony Wilson71 said:The thing is, people who smoke all the time get a bit foggy. I've got this buddy who's been smoking marijuana since he was in 5th grade—he's a sophomore in high school now, and yeah, he's a little out of it...
Well, duh, of course he’s spacey if he started back in 5th grade! There's no debate here—it definitely messes with kids while they're still developing.
But look, I'll say it again: I know plenty of "serious" people holding down big-shot jobs who smoke weed regularly, and honestly? None of them are confused or slowed down at all...
....... then again, some people are just naturally dim-witted...
Nathan Collins2 said:, plus there's the long-term stuff and how it hits certain mental health issues.
Yeah, I mean... honestly, you can even go blind from excessive solo play if things get weird enough 🙄
If you haven't yet, maybe check out that book "marijuana - ban drug"—it was actually written by doctors, so it's legit.
Bradley Nelson2 said:saying you can't get hooked on weed is absolute nonsense.
I mean, I’ve "tried" it enough times to know when to walk away, but my buddies have been smoking every single day for like a year now—back in the day, they were just weekend warriors, you know? And people are telling me that isn't an addiction????? Honestly, I think weed is for kids; real men stick to the hard stuff!
Man, I think your take is probably the dumbest thing I've heard lately! They smoke because it fits their vibe, not necessarily because they're addicts. And those "tough guys" who run from their problems and can't show actual courage? They're the ones hitting the harder stuff!
Anyway, the thing with weed is that when you're young, you just blast yourself into oblivion because looking wasted is "cool"—kind of like how it works with alcohol, I guess. I know aaaay lot of different people, all kinds of walks of life and ages, who smoke. We're talking everyone from blue-collar workers to businessmen, CEOs, even DOCTORS etc. Once you hit a certain age, weed takes on a totally different meaning than it did back in your teens. At least 70% of the people I know smoke, and we're talking grown men and women with solid lives, families, kids... the whole nine yards.
Someone mentioned earlier that weed messes with people who have mental health issues. Also totally wrong! It's well known that The Coca-Cola Company—wait, no, scratch that—it's well known that THC has antidepressant and calming effects. Look at people with PTSD. Those folks on various prescriptions basically live like zombies, unable to miss even a single pill, whereas people who smoke weed usually function perfectly fine in society.
You can smoke it every day, sure, but not like 10-15 joints a day—just one, easy going 🙂 ...
And as for those people who had paranoia attacks while smoking? That’s mostly a head game. It also depends on who they were with the first time, what kind of crowd they were in, their mindset, what they actually knew about it beforehand, etc.
Basically, you wouldn't believe how many people around you are actually smoking weed! 👍