Posted on 10/22/2005 2:30:54 PM PDT by FormerACLUmember
Our political leaders keep telling us to fear the avian flu, and in one sense they're right: We should all be scared to death about how much damage our political leaders will do responding to the avian flu.
Whatever the risk, some good will come out of this public alarm if we use it as an opportunity to understand why the U.S. is now so poorly armed to cope with a deadly flu outbreak. The reason is that our political class has spent the past 30 years driving the vaccine industry out of business with its own virus of over-regulation, price controls, litigation and intellectual-property abuse.
The U.S. today has only three large vaccine makers--down from 37 in the 1960s. This is the reason that, as recently as 2001, there was a shortage of eight of 11 critical childhood vaccines.
The feds have also done their best to remove any financial incentive--i.e., profit--for developing new vaccines. The Vaccines For Children program, a pet project of Hillary Clinton back in her First Lady days, has been especially destructive. The program now buys more than 50% of all private vaccines, and it uses this monopsony clout to drive prices down to commodity levels.
The larger point is that if politicians want private industry to develop new cures and vaccines, they can't steal their patents or confiscate their hope of making money.
The solutions to getting more vaccines aren't complicated: Push the FDA for faster approvals, shield companies from tort robbery and get the government out of the business of buying routine vaccines. Politicians can't be held responsible for knowing when the next animal virus will strike the human race. But they will be responsible if their hostility to business leaves us unable to cope with its consequences.
(Excerpt) Read more at opinionjournal.com ...
lol+
bttt
...and freelanced for the FBI & IRS.
"True and true. So where has Bush been for 5 years?"
Excellent Question, HE'S the President, she was merely the First Lady and got this travesty in place.
The feds have also done their best to remove any financial incentive--i.e., profit--for developing new vaccines.
If Hitlery keeps up her good work with support, we will be able to divest ourselves of that nasty ol' free enterprise system once and for all so we all can live healthy and fruitful lives like the third world and Canada does.
After all, getting rid of the profit incentives can only drive more money to the government and of course government knows best.
Oh, wait a minute...without profits and an influx of funds, where is government going to get their revenue?
The Vaccine industry was utterly destroyed by Hillary in 1993.
Don't you realize how dangerous that would be? It's exactly what got Bill elected in the first place.....whoever is on the GOP ticket will be better than Hillary and must be voted for over any third party candidate....otherwise we'll be saying Heil Hillary 6 years from now..................
This is true, but I believe that another scenario is being played out now, in Hillary's sneaky mind.
As we all know, John McCain has had little success in disguising HIS obsession for the top job.
Hillary knows this, and has cultivated his (ahem) "friendship".
McCain has hinted at a third party run, if he doesn't get the GOP nomination.
THAT would siphon off enough votes to put Hillary into power.
We have TWO problems here!
They're numbered no matter WHO is President. The US cannot keep out of Israel's business, period. Disgusting.
Regulating the borders, cutting expenditures, reducing government interference in business and private life. You know, all that core conservative stuff...
I don't call her 'The Whore of Babylon [drunk on the Blood of Saints]' or 'The Demon Possessed One' for nothing.
A directive put in place by "Her Majesty" before a Clinton vaccine could be developed.
Babylonians and demons everywhere detest your directive of comparison of them to such an evil entity. ; )
Good point. Sorry guys.
Oh, I know that is true, but why didn't the justice department under this President investigate the obvious things? Why didn't this administration push stringent charges against Sandy Berger? There is so much that doesn't make sense to me.
I agree with your assessment. I was shocked to learn that Clinton was actually very good friends with Pirot and have wondered ever since if this was a conspiracy to get him elected... since it worked once, I think they believe it is how they will get elected a second time and why all freepers need to realize that not voting or voting third party is the same thing as casting a vote for Hillary.
Regulating the borders????????
These libs never learn...
Did it need a sarcasm tag?
I think so ~LOL~ because you can acuse the President of a lot of things, but regulating the borders can't be one of them.
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