In an attempt to control the spread of Covid, most democracies found it useful not only to spectacularly abandon spending controls but also to limit civil liberties. Lockdowns, school closures, business closures, limitations on who, where and how we meet, what shops may open and how we must behave – this is the price that we are paying. Additionally, our children will have to fund unprecedented debt our governments have unleashed.
It is therefore interesting to note one area, which seems to have been left out. At a time, when the world is in dire need of vaccine, no limitations and controls were put over the vaccine producers – the pharma industry. They, of course, are in business to maximise their profits. First year Economics students already know about supply and demand. Does anyone believe that Pfizer-Biontech, Astra-Zeneca, Moderna and their ilk would voluntarily forego the opportunity to create an artificial shortage, in order to squeeze as much money from a vaccine-hungry world?
Should we not have acted with the same willingness to curtail the freedom of big pharma, as we have in restricting our and our children’s civil liberties?
No comments:
Post a Comment