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February 21, 2008

Drug Prices Surge Despite Criticisms On Campaign Trail

Oh lord did I ever get a bitter chuckle out of this WSJ article on increasing drug prices. Just when you think the issues of individual rights and supply and demand couldn't get mired any further in altruistic rhetoric, here come our illustrious presidential candidates to prove me wrong.

First up, Obama:
On his Web site, Mr. Obama says he "will prevent [drug] companies from abusing their monopoly power through unjustified price increases."

OMG, What the.. who? Is there even one word in that quote that is not completely worthless? What "monopoly power" do the drug companies have, you mean that competition-destroying seven-year patent they get just for being lucky enough to sink millions of dollars into discovery the might yield a safe and live-saving medication. And by "unjustified price increases", I'm assuming he means charging more for a drug than people can afford. Well bravo, my good man, you are correct, it is in fact in the economic interest of the drug companies to set a price for their product that the majority of people can afford, in order to maximize their profits and- oh, I'm sorry, I misunderstood you? Ah, what you meant was that everyone should be able to afford the drugs and that the industry's profits and rights to its intellectual property are not your concern, you unprincipled little worm. Yes, I almost forgot that as an employee of a corporation in the health care industry, I have no right to consider my interests over the needs of those who demand life-saving drugs at a price of their choosing. Ok, good luck with that, I'm sure that golden goose will just keep-a layin' eggs.

Not to be outdone, her comes Senator McCain to offer his radically free-market approach:
Mr. McCain's health-care plan includes a provision to "develop safety protocols that permit reimportation to keep competition vigorous."

But of course, like a true capitalist, McCain simply wants to "keep competition vigorous" by pretending that Canadians get their drugs through some sort of free market. Let's just forget that 99% of all money spent on drugs in Canada is money that is coercively taken from Canadian citizens by their government, who then "negotiates" a price with the pharmaceutical industry. Oh Canadian Government, don't worry about Obama, he's too busy calling the Pharmaceutical industry a monopoly to notice that you actually are one.

What tickles me is that McCain is playing along with the industry's "safety" game, ie, that they're just concerned that if drugs are reimported, the vaunted public (whose right to "safe" drugs is inalienable), might end up with some fake Viagra. Oh Pharmaceutical Industry, when the hell are you gonna take your family jewels out of your purse and stand up for your rights to your property and your profits? Seriously, when a cube monkey in your multi-billion dollar industry has to point out that all your altruistic PR is just playing into the hands of those who would enslave you... Please tell me you are working on a drug that can treat a chronically weak backbone.

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Posted by exaltron at February 21, 2008 11:56 AM

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