“Big Pharma”

Big Pharma, the non-specific scapegoat people reference when they want to sound wise about medical matters without actually having to know anything about them. I’ve heard a lot of stupid things, but this takes the cake… the notion that Big Pharma is withholding the cure for cancer so that it can make money off treating it.

First of all, there is no monolithic entity that controls medical progress. Since Big Pharma has been credited with the absolute control over everything from prescription drugs to disease research it would have to have a monopoly on every single hospital, research institute, medical journal, university, regulatory agency, pharmaceutical company etc that has ever had anything to do with cancer. Do we really think that all these separate organizations (many are non profits) scattered around the world are following orders given by some evil mastermind stroking a fluffy white cat? This is no more or less absurd than the moon hoax.

How about countries with socialized medicine? Canada, the UK, the entire European Union are all holding back the cure for cancer even though it would save those countries hundreds of billions every year? Or are they simply holding the cure back to protect American cancer treatment profits? Awfully nice of us… Wait, what profits? Oh right, whatever is left over after America loses 263.8 billion dollars a year treating people with cancer according to the National Institute of Health but I suppose they’re in on it too right? Everyone who has any evidence contrary to your bullshit claim is just in on the conspiracy… you can’t lose!

Whichever institution produces a cure for cancer is going to get massive recognition and funding! The individual researchers? They’ll become fabulously rich, go down in the history books, and receive Nobel Prizes… nothing too special. Big Pharma nuts always underestimate the enormous incentive there is to find a cure, not just for money and fame… Think about the amount of people who would have to be in on this if it were real and think about how many of them would have to have known someone who has suffered or died from cancer, yet all of them still choose to hide it? Why? They won’t be out of a job there are plenty of other diseases that require medical researchers, doctors, pharmaceutical companies etc. Plenty of diseases that had expensive treatments have been cured in the past and never has there been people out of work or economies displaced because of it, resources are just moved to where they’re needed.

There are so many real problems and issues with the medical systems in place, why are people inventing imaginary ones? —Obviously I Am Being Paid By Big Pharma

This article appears in Dec 1-7, 2011.