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**TypeTeasiaDer** · 06-23-2011, 06:17 AM

Anyway, digression, not relevant here.

True, so I'll keep my response short & sweet.

True, but everyone should have the chance to work hard and reap the rewards, and as it stands, you have a minority of schemers holding the majority of wealth and power (including political power), paying almost zero tax rates through clever accounting techniques meanwhile recieving subsidies, grants, licenses, funds and bailouts when they need them-while the working shmuck pays tax every time without option and gets less and less for it every year.

Yes, but drug companies don't come under the umbrella of 'large scale scroungers' (e.g. banks). Drug companies take tens of billions of dollars and develop a new treatment, they want adequate remuneration for doing so, those researchers want bigger and bigger paycheques (and who doesn't?), the shareholders want dividends if the companies' market value is to remain high (giving them better access to credit markets and thereby increasing their opportunities to improve on treatments). Big pharma are not the scumbags people think they are.

In fact, I'm an AstraZeneca shareholder, so I may be slightly biased.

I don't believe in equality, nature doesn't allow us to be equal and no one is equal, I believe in fairness and equal oppurtunities and equality under the law, and democracy, all of these values are being eroded slowely but surely.

Fairness is subjective, and equality under the law is immaterial (beyond the rule of law applying to everyone). "The government cannot make us equal", as U.S. Supreme Court Judge Clarence Thomas famously said in deciding an affirmative action case, for the record Thomas is African-American.

Equality of opportunity will not be a reality outside of a Marxist society. For example, I got an easier start to life than a lot of people (private school, loving parents etc) but it's nothing compared to what many other people get (am I one of the advantaged few or an average Joe?- that depends on which you are). The ovarian lottery, as Warren Buffett mocking calls inherited wealth, is not a problem- you just have to live with the hand you're dealt.

We can continue this debate elsewhere if you like, but as you say this isn't really the correct thread for it.

06-23-2011, 06:17 AM	#26
TypeTeasiaDer Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 465 Senior Member	Anyway, digression, not relevant here. True, so I'll keep my response short & sweet. True, but everyone should have the chance to work hard and reap the rewards, and as it stands, you have a minority of schemers holding the majority of wealth and power (including political power), paying almost zero tax rates through clever accounting techniques meanwhile recieving subsidies, grants, licenses, funds and bailouts when they need them-while the working shmuck pays tax every time without option and gets less and less for it every year. Yes, but drug companies don't come under the umbrella of 'large scale scroungers' (e.g. banks). Drug companies take tens of billions of dollars and develop a new treatment, they want adequate remuneration for doing so, those researchers want bigger and bigger paycheques (and who doesn't?), the shareholders want dividends if the companies' market value is to remain high (giving them better access to credit markets and thereby increasing their opportunities to improve on treatments). Big pharma are not the scumbags people think they are. In fact, I'm an AstraZeneca shareholder, so I may be slightly biased. I don't believe in equality, nature doesn't allow us to be equal and no one is equal, I believe in fairness and equal oppurtunities and equality under the law, and democracy, all of these values are being eroded slowely but surely. Fairness is subjective, and equality under the law is immaterial (beyond the rule of law applying to everyone). "The government cannot make us equal", as U.S. Supreme Court Judge Clarence Thomas famously said in deciding an affirmative action case, for the record Thomas is African-American. Equality of opportunity will not be a reality outside of a Marxist society. For example, I got an easier start to life than a lot of people (private school, loving parents etc) but it's nothing compared to what many other people get (am I one of the advantaged few or an average Joe?- that depends on which you are). The ovarian lottery, as Warren Buffett mocking calls inherited wealth, is not a problem- you just have to live with the hand you're dealt. We can continue this debate elsewhere if you like, but as you say this isn't really the correct thread for it.
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