Amazing

[rickr15]

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/04/02...ex.html?hpt=T2

Anyone who doesn't think big Pharma runs this nation should read this.

[Fast_Eddie]

That's damn interesting. But I do understand what they were thinking. Still, doubt they'd be willing to help me out if they found I was breaking the law. Must be nice to have so much power. It's one of those things- it's the right decision, but it's not right. And there's something bad wrong when they get special treatment that you and I would never get.

Not sure I'd agree that it's proof they run the nation. Sounds like the decision was made in the in the interest of "the people". But still smells to high heaven.

[merrylander]

Didn't pfizer just buy out Merck? Trying to insure that they are too big to fail.

[d-ray657]

Originally Posted by merrylander

Didn't pfizer just buy out Merck? Trying to insure that they are too big to fail.

I'll trot out my familiar mantra - enforce the anti-trust laws. If they are too big to fail, they are too big. Any company that has that much of an effect on the economy has too much market power.

Regards,

D-Ray

[rickr15]

If they did fail the regulators could sell their patents to a competitor. This wasn't done to help people it was done to help Pfizers money people.

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by d-ray657

I'll trot out my familiar mantra - enforce the anti-trust laws. If they are too big to fail, they are too big. Any company that has that much of an effect on the economy has too much market power.

Regards,

D-Ray

Maybe we need a government with some cojones, the Canadians tell them what they can charge and make the like it. I would also trust their guys much more than the FDA.

[d-ray657]

Originally Posted by merrylander

Maybe we need a government with some cojones,

+1. Bit by bit, however, I think they're starting to show. It takes some bow-legged walking to get some of your own party pissed at you as much as the do-nothing party.

Regards,

D-Ray

[Fast_Eddie]

Originally Posted by merrylander

Maybe we need a government with some cojones, the Canadians tell them what they can charge and make them like it. I would also trust their guys much more than the FDA.

Not likely to happen. Either out or actual concern or political positioning, the right has sold laissez faire as something vital to American freedom. And if you look at corporations as persons, which I guess we do, that would be consistent with our overall ideals. If it were up to me the protections of the Constitution would be for citizens and the state would protect us from corporations. The way we're doing it now sometimes seems to be trading rule by the state for rule by the board room. That's not really freedom.

[merrylander]

Ask any economist if a corporation should be a good citrizen and act in the public interest, what sort of an answer will you get? Saw that very thing on a Newshour segment once and the answer was "A corporation's first duty is to its shareholders." So how does that make a corporation a citizen? Roberts and Alito have their heads in a strange dark and smelly place.

[BlueStreak]

So, what they would have us believe is that the corporation doesn't exist to serve society, society exists to serve the corporation?

Right, not freedom at all, in my book.

Dave