In yet another excellent example of soulless corporate profit-seeking, the blood thinning drug, Heparin, had to be recalled off the market by the FDA - The drug, manufactured in China, is alleged to have been intentionally contaminated to increase profits.Let me try to wrap my brain around this concept: Contaminating a drug to increase profits, hmmm. I wonder, have the morons at Baxter International done any market research on the potential of marketing rat poison to babies? Maybe they could market Heparin to states that still impose death by lethal injection. Last I heard, people flock to buy products that KILL THEM, right?
This story has been running in the national news for several days now. Even NPR has had several articles on this story. But everyone, including NPR, I think has missed the bigger story here: WHY in god’s name are we importing drugs of ANY kind from China??!!??
Isn’t China the country that sends us lead-tainted children’s toys, computer batteries that explode, faulty appliances that catch fire… and the list goes on?
I don’t mind it too much that China exports cheaper microwave ovens, plastic salad-tossers or AK-47 knock-offs. But I have one BIG God dam concern about importing stuff from them that we put in our bodies! China has shown in the past that they will do anything and say anything to join the world market. They don’t care how they get there. Remember, China is still a communist controlled dictatorship… and Americans hate dictatorships (unless, of course, there are profits to be made by partnering with them).
Besides the big pharmaceuticals already don’t want us importing drugs, you know, like from Canada… because imported drugs are CHEAPER than buying them here! Busloads of senior citizens book charters up to Canada for drug store runs, coming back with needed medications at a fraction of the cost they would pay here. The big drug companies have successfully lobbied congress to keep citizens from obtaining cheaper drugs abroad. We agree - our pharmaceuticals need to be made here in the good ol’ USofA.
Yes, it’s cheaper to manufacture drugs in China, we understand. But aren’t huge profit enough; does your greed really compel you to need them to be “astronomical”?
I think there is a simple cure for this problem; a law that says every CEO, board member and senior executive must take a regular dose of the drugs they import! It all seems pretty simple... And if they are good little boys and take their medicine, we will give each of their grandchildren a cute little lead-painted Thomas the Tank engine to suck on.
4 comments:
One of my uncles used to insist that during WWII, airplane mechanics were made to ride on all planes they serviced -- and presumably, those without suicidal wishes were chosen for the job. I'd go along with making people take the drugs they import. Perhaps we could create new jobs with such a law in place: there would have to be people who made sure they took their own medicine.
Mary - Your uncle is quite correct. My father-in-law was a mechanic during WWII and has written a book about his experiences.
The "cobbers" indeed were required to fly on the shakedown flights of serviced aircraft. He tells of one harrowing experience in his book, in fact.
I have a similar experience about supervising a student pack his parachute (back in my skydiving days). But I'll save that for another blog.
you know what else increases profits? not killing your consumers. that way more of them stay around to spend. economics 101.
Wow! That uncle, bless him, talked such a lot of nonsense, I had no idea he was telling the truth. What is the title of your uncle's book?
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