[V2 Rocket]

The following will give the tea tards and the Palinites constipation.

The say hypothetical questions are the only ones worth asking. There may come a time when a government creates a technology or technologies that can easily and inexpensively cures or prevent most diseases. Currently there is work being done with stem cells and regenerative medicine that may lead to breakthroughs that will dwarf the work of Pasteur and Salk. This will put the screws to the criminals in the medical industry.

If and when this occurs millions of health care workers will be obsolete and over a million doctors and other over paid health care and big pharma thugs will be looking for work.

Should a government provide this free of charge to its citizens and then sell it to the rest of the world and give its citizens the proceeds?

[Allerton]

Of course the government should provide this for free to it's citizens. I can't think of any logical reason as to why you would deny medical treatment to those unable to afford it, particularly those living with chronic conditions. However, you are correct, there is the fallout to consider. It would put many health care workers and pharmacy companies out of business. I suppose that's just an unfortunate consequence but it is by no means a reason to charge money for the treatment.

[SecretSquirrel]

If we are assuming ex ante that the lab is publicly owned (aka, government lab) then of course they must provide whatever they develop to their citizens for free.

Of course, this lab should not exist unless every taxpayer agrees with it.

By the way, the so-called criminals in the medical industry are not criminal whatsoever. They develop a service/product, and they sell it to customers that want it at a price that they negotiate. Period.

If you are talking about the absurd prices of patented drugs, then I could agree that it (the concept of intellectual property) is bullshit, but that is a crime on the part of the STATE, not the company. It is the STATE that can prevent someone from copying a drug that company X developed by threatening to throw them in a dungeon. No company has dungeons (except S&M companies?) and no company can force someone to give it money.


FULL
STOP

[V2 Rocket]

Squirrel proclaimed
"Of course, this lab should not exist unless every taxpayer agrees with it.

By the way, the so-called criminals in the medical industry are not criminal whatsoever. They develop a service/product, and they sell it to customers that want it at a price that they negotiate. Period.

If you are talking about the absurd prices of patented drugs, then I could agree that it (the concept of intellectual property) is bullshit, but that is a crime on the part of the STATE, not the company. It is the STATE that can prevent someone from copying a drug that company X developed by threatening to throw them in a dungeon. No company has dungeons (except S&M companies?) and no company can force someone to give it money"

==============================================================================================================================================

Are you totally out of you fucking mind.

Not every is going to agree on anything. Many people opposed the space program but those people were stupid and should not reproduce.

The medical industry is a criminal enterprise. Price gouging is a crime.

The US health care industry with health care acquired infection alone kill 100K people a year. Criminally negligent homicide is crime.

Insurance billing fraud is rampant and that also is a crime.

The AIDS drug AZT was developed by the government yet big pharma is making a fortune selling it.

Our medical industry has not created a cure for anything in 50 years. They exploit disease when they should be curing it.

[SecretSquirrel]

they shouldnt be doing anything except what they feel like doing, as it is still a (relatively) free country. Do yourself a favor and move to venezuela.

[Khalq]

What is this thread doing in the Technocracy forum?

[Wolfman]

What is this thread doing in the Technocracy forum?

The obvious (but not necessarily correct) answer is that V2 is a Technocrat, who wants the input of other Technocrats.

[V2 Rocket]

Define technocrat.

[Wolfman]

This is Technocracy.

[Zerogouki]

Well, if the lab and the research that produced the drug were publicly funded, then giving the cure to the taxpayers at no cost makes perfect sense. There's no reason to make them pay for the same thing twice. As for the rest of the world, the government should sell the drug, but instead of distributing the proceeds among the citizens, it should use the revenue to fund its other functions, allowing tax rates to be lowered.