C'mon, somebody tell me that capitalism works great...

[yltlatl]

after reading this article.

"New antibiotic research has taken a back seat because companies are chasing larger drug markets that promise bigger profits such as pills for depression, heartburn, and erectile dysfunction. The shift to treat chronic ailments and "lifestyle" complaints is of growing concern among infectious disease doctors who say market conditions are steering manufacturers away from areas of critical medical need."

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2004/03/13/firms_abandoning_antibiotics_research/

If we only deregulate everything and abolish the federal government, everything will be great!!!

[DarkPhenyx]

1. Capitalism does work great.

It's unregulated capitalism that is a problem. So is overregulated capitalism.

[RichM]

7. Regulated capitalism will always revert to unregulated, because

the capitalists control most levers of power. If a major crisis like the Depression causes laws to be adopted that regulate capitalism, the capitalist class will always plot to repeal these laws as soon as it's politically practicable. (That's what has been happening ever since the 1970's.)

Regulated capitalism can never be a "steady state" of capitalism. It can at best be a temporary measure, assented to only in times of crisis. After the crisis is over, the only things left to maintain regulation are the integrity of the press, & the political astuteness of the electorate. As we all see, those things are not nearly strong enough to resist the capitalists' offensive to roll back regulation.

[John_H]

9. Which is why you'll vote for Kerry, right Rich?

[DarkPhenyx]

10. Of course!

You expect taht, just because you won the fight once, that you won't have to fight it again? Constant vigilance in all htings. That is the only way it works.

[Redleg]

2. Capitalism works just fine for the monopoly capitalists.

Not so well for the rest of us.

[shance]

8. Exactly, conditional -regulated capitalism is a great excuse for fascism.

True capitalism is its rawest sense is essentially fair, well if you rule out classism, favoritism, etc. Come to think of it, it depends on how you define fair.

If true capitalism had been in place after 9/11, keep in mind that American Airlines and United would have folded. Instead, they were the first two beneficiaries of monetary aid from our president.

Thats conditional (regulating in a elitist sense*) capitalism where leaders in power pick and choose what they want to save and protect and what can go bankrupt. So essentially we dont have a capitalistic government.

Greed seems to always comes face to face with Democracy. Probably every system does, however, perhaps its a monetary system in general thats the problem. Seems to me bartering seems like a better way to do things.

The one thing we have going for us in America is that we tasted and have seen what fairness and goodness look like and now we have expectations and dreams for our children to live in a healthy more loving* world. It does appear there is a faction who seem to be trying to strip opportunities and dreams from Americans so that a few can rule and all other Americans work for them.

Thats what needs to be stopped.

[K-W]

3. Capitalism has upsides and downsides.

The problem is that is seems to have gotten society stuck. The system is still so terribly inadequate at providing the basic functions of an economic system.

[burythehatchet]

4. Capitalism is fine

Corporatism is not

[smcmike]

5. It works great....

...if you are have chronic heartburn, depression, and can't get it up. If you are dying of some infectious disease, you probably don't have money anyways!

[A HERETIC I AM]

6. There is no money in curing disease.....

The REAL money is in treating the symptoms

If you cure the disease IE. wipe it out, how can a pharmaceutical company make money off of it for extended periods of time?

BTW, regarding the proliferation of pills that treat "Acid Reflux Disease", are we the only nation so seriously affected by this malady? Do the French, the Germans and the rest of Europe suffer from this? If not, what does it say about the diet of most Americans?

Are we being intentionally poisoned in order to be sold still MORE medications?

Just a thought..

[LeahMira]

11. You don't have to buy them...

BTW, regarding the proliferation of pills that treat "Acid Reflux Disease", are we the only nation so seriously affected by this malady?

I don't think it's entirely our diet. A competitive and stressed lifestyle doesn't do anything for your health either. It's all connected.

Really, though, you don't have to buy this stuff. Americans will take a pill for anything. Most times, the body will heal itself.

[Deja Q]

13. It's like breaking someone's leg then telling them to lean on you...

That's America. Make a problem, fix a symptom but let the problem continue unchecked.

What else need be said?

[MAlibdem]

12. see elliot spitzer's article in the new republic this week

http://www.tnr.com