Einstein on Human Stupidity

 

Einstein on Human Stupidity

   In reading quotes in goodreads.com/quotes, I came across this quote of Albert Einstein, “Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the universe.”  I’m not sure that I see this as a compliment, but I am certain that Einstein said it satirically.  I know this as surely as Einstein did because if the statement were true no human would be smart enough to accurately assess the data available on the subject.

   That infinite stupidity is certainly applicable to certain large groups of humans.  Especially to those who place loyalty above reason.  Loyalty to flag, loyalty to religion, loyalty to science, loyalty to skin color, loyalty to family these are the main drivers away from individual logic and reason.  A good example of faith and loyalty in The Holy Land can be observed by watching the daily news.  The Holiday Season is a good time to keep this in mind. 

   I realize that few of you reading this are potential Trump voters.  No independent thinking woman would vote for an admitted and convicted rapist, but I did ask a Republican female friend if she intended to vote for him and she said, “Yes, I don’t respect him, but I do believe that he will be good for my 401K.”  Albert may have something.

   We on the American continent speak of the Greek belief of gods fathering offspring with human females as Greek Mythology.  Yet when we speak of this improbable mating we call it Religion.  Is this a valid example of loyalty to one’s religion?

  Now for the Holy Grail, Science.  Ask a friend in the scientific field if he or she believes in the Big Bang Theory (the theory of something from nothing).  I have found that most will say that they do.  Question them further and if honest, they will admit that they don’t fully understand it.  Their belief is based on faith in Science.  I then propose my Infinite “Big Plop Theory” and am laughed at.  Big Plop will be the next belief by the scientific community and they will probably be wrong again.  I admire scientific inquiry since it questions its own findings and admits when previous conclusions appear to be errors.  Science involves itself in a never ending search for truth.  Along the way it finds some answers.  As an agnostic, I understand that.

   At this point in time my greatest fantasy wish would be to join Albert Einstein during his lifetime for a cup of coffee and a conversation about his love of satire.

Cheers, Old Buz                         12/18/2023                                                                                             

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“The loyalists follow the under tail scent of the lemmings in front of them.”                       – Old Buz

Draconian Pharma

Draconian Pharma

   I live by the grace of a drug marketed by AbbVie Pharmaceuticals.  You and your children will die by their hands.  The vehicle that will be your demise is called greed.  It is the driving force behind many other drug companies as well.  Here is my and your story.  I told the story in a previous blog, Golden Goose Economics, but I employed satire to tell the tale.  Satire is a language not understood by some, so here is the threat without satire.

   In 2009 my annual blood tests showed that I had CLL (Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia) a deadly malignancy.  It remained in the “wait and see” stage until in 2019 the lymphocyte count went up to stage three.  At that time my oncologist recommended a drug called Imbruvica (the generic name is Ibrutinib) at a cost to Medicare of 195 thousand dollars/year/patient.  It required that I pay a three thousand dollar a month copay.  I don’t have three thousand dollars a month over and above my living costs.  So, I turned the offer to extend my life down.

   Soon after my turn down I received a call from a foundation ready to pay my required copay.  The young woman asked me what my annual income was, and then said that I had qualified for the assistance.  I have applied for many financial programs in my life and have never had one approved without income verification.  This fact prompted me to ask, “Who funds this foundation?”  She confirmed my suspicions by answering, “The Pharmaceutical Manufacturers.”  I understood that the Pharmaceutical (AbbVie) had priced the drug so high that the bulk of the potential patients could not afford the copay.  And, they would receive their donation back from the foundation when the copay was returned.  This draconian plan was probably engineered by Richard Gonzales, CEO of AbbVie.  The CLL organization estimates that there are presently, approximately two hundred thousand Medicare patients with CLL.  With this number of clients AbbVie would recover its investment of twenty one billion dollars for the patent rights of Ibrutinib in about a year and a half.  This is an excellent return on investment and spells out the end of Medicare.  There are other pharmaceuticals joining the program.  The financial success is no secret among them.

   Who is to blame for this egregious future ending of Medicare?  Let’s start at the bottom.  I am.  I am willing to participate in this scam so that I may live longer.  Next up, my oncologist.  They do not prescribe the drug without knowledge of the preceding events.  They could try to change it with their powerful AMA lobbyists.  But, in the short run, if they like being willfully blind, the drug offers effective patient care.  Next up, the pharmaceuticals and their lobbyists, they fully understand the game.  The CEOs like Gonzales are so infected with greed (the malignant form of self-preservation) that they are willing to sacrifice the lives of their children and their children’s children.  At the top of the corruption are your elected representatives.  They are the folks that create and enforce patent rights.  You elected them to serve the people, not the soulless wealth of the nation.

   What are patent rights?  They are designed to protect the rights of the creator of a desirable product and to reward the toil of a creator.  When Celera Pharmaceutical sold Ibrutinib to Pharmacyclics for three million dollars it was probably for a fair profit and to a company capable of logistics required to produce and distribute the product.  Then Johnson & Johnson paid Pharmacyclics for its patent rights $975 million.  Are you starting to smell a foul odor?  The next transaction has AbbVie paying $21 billion for these patent rights.  A billion is a thousand millions.  Twenty-one of them is going to result in a very high price for a lifesaving drug.  Are we dealing with greed now or protecting an inventor?  The purpose of any law is a shield for those in need of protection, not a sword for the greedy.  A well written patent law would protect the creator and perhaps a distributer with the purchase at perhaps 15% over the book value of the company, but no protection to a third purchaser.  This would be fair and effective.  With the large dollar influence on those who govern us, fair and effective is rare.

Cheers, Old Buz                   December 4^th, 2023

Remember:

“One cannot fool all of the people all of the time … and that is why we have two political parties.” - Anon