Is the Pharmaceutical Industry Corrupt?

[michael]

This new drug breakthough might help us all:-)

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/46032

Wonder Drug Inspires Deep, Unwavering Love Of Pharmaceutical Companies

NEW YORK—The Food and Drug Administration today approved the sale of the drug PharmAmorin, a prescription tablet developed by Pfizer to treat chronic distrust of large prescription-drug manufacturers.

 

Pfizer executives characterized the FDA's approval as a "godsend" for sufferers of independent-thinking-related mental-health disorders.

 

PharmAmorin, now relieving distrust of large pharmaceutical conglomerates in pharmacies nationwide.

 

"Many individuals today lack the deep, abiding affection for drug makers that is found in healthy people,

[ParanoiA]

Making money is not corrupt; but I have just read The Runaway Jury By John Grisham which has given me a very jaundiced view of corporate USA. Although fiction, it is chillingly too close to the bone.

 

 

I am quite libertarian and even I don't have a nice thing to say about corporate USA. I don't think corporations were what our founding fathers envisioned when they drafted this experiment.

[michael]

I am quite libertarian and even I don't have a nice thing to say about corporate USA. I don't think corporations were what our founding fathers envisioned when they drafted this experiment.

Thanks for your thoughts.

It is a world wide problem. Not just the USA.

Certainly Constitutions and Bills of Rights didn't envisage corporations bigger and more powerful than countries. Even if they did corporations can move assets etc off shore in a blink. You wonder who (or if) they pay tax to.

 

Very Large Corporations seem to have no ethics or morality to guide them.

They tend to be structured like the Roman Legions or the Catholic Church with all power at the top, like a pyramid. This leads to fear and conformity in staff. Corruption is often overlooked as "Whistle Blowers" are all but destroyed if they act. There is very little creativity, inventiveness, spontaneity and joy. People seem expendable and replaceable. Loyalty is expected but not given in return. Clones and conformity are the norm. There is no place for personalities. Spin Doctors produce The Message; even to the extent of preparing Video news segments that the media can just slot into their "News" programmes.

 

I used to be involved with Training and Organisational Development and only found real human values, morality and respect for people in companies with less than 100 people employed. I become very alarmed at how bigger corporations were using the psychology I was teaching them. Now psychology is enshrined in MBAs and in "Staff Development" Shudder

 

We have recently had a corruption case here with the Australian Wheat Board giving kick-backs to Sadam.The execs. just lied though their teeth and the government protected its own arse.

 

I was recently at the wonderful (exuberant, creative)Cirque de Soleil and the Corporate Tent had clones in grey suits drinking champagne. They all were about the same age, size and dress. It looked like a convention of religious fundamentalists. It turned out to be an IBM corporate function. I guess they were there to bond and learn about creativity?

 

The Australian Government has just given one of the richest corporations in the world-Chevron- 60m to help them with their pollution problems on the new enormous gas field they are developing in Western Australia. You have to ask "Why?"

 

Call me a masochist but I have just got another John Grisham out of the library!

[Pangloss]

That's true about corporations, but I don't think it's a bad thing, I think it's a GOOD thing. Don't get me wrong, I agree that they cause problems for society from time to time, but I don't WANT corporations making moral choices, I want SOCIETY to stand up, debate them, and then make the right choices, without having to worry about profit motive or keeping investors happy.

 

There is no such thing as "corporate responsibility", for example, aside from what the law requires. Corporations are what they are. The onus is on society to keep their excesses in check.

[SmallIsPower]

Here's a little video on how we've become aclimatised to buying drugs as easy solutions. It's amusing only as far as there's a ring of truth to it.