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 ...
Yeah. I forgot the bit about vetoing every pork laden travesty that crossed his desk, too.
and ....nominating Constitutionalist scholars to SCOTUS, getting the IRS off our backs, passing tort reform, providing personal ownership of health insurance.....
How dare you insult whores by comparing them to Hillary. At least they work for a living!
Yeah I want to be vaccinated against democrat infestation and the STD of the Clintons.
Since you are here at FR, most likely you have been vaccinated. ; )
In my defense, may I point out that they are in the same business - screwing the public?
The Justice Department, like the legal system in general, is thoroughly infested with "judicial activists" (crooked, corrupt democrats). And the Lamestream is even worse.
The evil democrat party must be utterly destroyed and its agents rooted out of every area of power or influence.
yoo bad, dude. lol+++
FR is a refreshing cleansing bath. However, the democrats keep defecating on all of us in our daily lives.
I try...
However, I think the first and biggest mistake the President made was in not following her lead and cleaning justice of Clinton cronies, cleaning CIA and FBI of Clintonites and, last and maybe most important -- the State Department... which was made worse by putting Colin Powell in charge.
Bush failed the nation by not thoroughly cleaning out the democrat party scum from the Department of Justice and elsewhere. And look at the damage from such criminals as Joe Wilson and the like.
There's such a thing as being too trusting. In modern day Washington you need to watch your own back... you have to know your enemy and react accordingly.
amen
A sourpuss attitude like yours would wipe the smirk off of Tom DeLay's mug shot.
As opposed to the efficiency, warmth, prompt customer service, and clarity of explanation in bills sent out by today's health care providers?
The reality is that we already live in a partially socialized system. As PJ O'Rourke said: "If you think that healthcare is expensive, wait until it is free."
BTTT never forget!
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