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 Free Trade’s Bitter PillPosted on Apr 4, 2007
U.S. trade agreements are endangering public health systems in developing countries by driving up the cost of lifesaving drugs, according to a new study by the British relief agency Oxfam.
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By Darby, April 4, 2007 at 12:01 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
It won’t be long till the rest of the world starts ignoring or refusing to sign onto trade deals that protect American corporations at the expense of people’s lives. It’s bad enough that it’s already a problem within America, where the lives of the poor are subjugated to the profits of the big drug companies. Who negotiates on behalf of the US in international agreements - the pharmaceutical lobby?
Report thisBy Lee, April 4, 2007 at 10:25 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
Free trade means price fixing, why am I not surprised . Sort of like the deal Bush shoved through for the Medicare program.
Report thisBy Western Washington, April 4, 2007 at 7:52 am #
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If the US cannot keep the cost of prescriptions under control domestically in the face of Big Pharma’s “IP” protections, what makes anyone think that they’ll do it for nations, developing or otherwise? When have US trade agreements ever been “fair” to the other parties? I cannot think of one.
Report thisBy GW=MCHammered, April 4, 2007 at 7:06 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
Remember when…
Democracy™ was being a WE player, not a ME taker?
Capitalism® was the PRIVATE Ownership of capital, not PUBLIC Servant or PUBLIC Owned Corporate wealth control?
Economic Globalization© will never democratize Der Fuhrer! Make politicians do the hard work of either Globalizing Politics first or better yet, Globalizing Education first then fair and competitive economies will follow.
Report thisBy Paul Noel, April 4, 2007 at 6:37 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
This story shouldn’t be a surprise. The purpose of “Free Trade” was in part to give Big Pharma a world wide monopoly. The Qid Pro Quo was for Americans that they would get the jobs making the drugs. Of course Big Pharma has gone off shore so that deal is gone.
Another Duh! Does anyone remember the “Irish Potato Famine?” It in history was what triggered an exodus to the USA for millions of Irish. This was English “Free Trade” policies that actually starved the people, not a famine in the crops. Similarly how about the “Starving Indians” after WW2? That was another “Free Trade” story.
Honestly “Free Trade” as now constituted has nothing to do with free trade. It constitutes the greatest expansion of slavery in the history of mankind. I am a genuine free trader who loves his money as good in one US State as another and seeing no passports etc, between the US States. I could hardly deny the whole world the wonderful nature of this dream. Sadly the US System respects the various states and their laws. “Free Trade” has no such respect. It’s one size fits all law fits nobody and its “Free Trade” only benefits the elites at the expense of the ordinary citizen. It is a return to Royalty by color of money.
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