Big Pharma is a criminal organization

Iraq War veterans are suing the largest drug makers in America for knowingly helping terrorist groups kill American soldiers.

U.S. and European drug companies indirectly yet knowingly funded Iran-backed Iraqi militias that carried out attacks against U.S. troops, veterans of the Iraq War alleged in a lawsuit filed Tuesday.
The lawsuit alleges that five drug companies won contracts with the Iraqi government during the 2003 peak of the war with knowledge that free drugs and medical devices would end up in the hands of a Shiite militia.
That militia would then sell the drugs and devices to the black market to fund its operations against the U.S., the New York Times reported.
Named in the lawsuit are U.S. firms General Electric, Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer and European drugmakers AstraZeneca and Roche Holding A.G.

Of course, this lawsuit would be unnecessary if the federal government enforced the law with corporations, but that isn't going to happen.

A lawsuit that has just hit the federal court system claims that these drug giants were not only filling purchasing orders but offering substantial kickbacks and free medication, all while knowing they were in business with a group of terrorists engaged in violence against U.S. interests and Americans. Such payments, the lawsuit claims, were violations of the Anti-Terrorism Act.
...These extras, in turn, were sold by Sadrists on Iraq’s black market at a considerable markup. The Mahdi Army, in fact, became known among U.S. government personnel as the “Pill Army.” The cleric often paid his fighters in medical supplies and pharmaceuticals, which they either resold or ingested as intoxicants, the lawsuit says. These included antipsychotic drugs, birth control medication and cancer drugs.
Both the bribes and resales provided a cash flow feeding “directly into Jaysh al-Mahdi’s coffers and helped the militia buy weapons, training, and logistical support for its terrorist attacks,” the lawsuit claims, attacks that “likely killed more than 500 Americans and wounded thousands more.”

You would think this might be Big News, but it's not.
The reason it isn't is because there was an even BIGGER scandal story that broke this week involving Big Pharma.

Trump’s nominee for drug czar, the US congressman Tom Marino, was forced to withdraw after a report by the Washington Post and CBS’s 60 Minutes highlighted his role in forging legislation that hinders the DEA’s ability to move against drug distributors or pharmacies recklessly dispensing the opioid painkillers at the heart of the epidemic, which claims more than 100 lives a day.
...In his comments alongside McConnell, Trump was vocal in his criticism of what he said were pharmaceutical manufacturers “getting away with murder” by charging much higher prices in the US than other countries. That is the result of a 2003 law, in effect written by the industry, preventing the federal government from seeking bids for the manufacture of drugs and medical devices – a process used in other areas, such as defence spending.
Instead, the pharmaceutical companies can charge whatever price they want for drugs bought for the publicly run Medicare and Medicaid programmes – and the federal government has no choice but to pay up.

Big Pharma profits from both killing people, and letting people die.
In a sane world, these people would be charged with RICO and publicly shamed. Not running the country.

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thanatokephaloides's picture

The Mahdi Army, in fact, became known among U.S. government personnel as the “Pill Army.” The cleric often paid his fighters in medical supplies and pharmaceuticals, which they either resold or ingested as intoxicants, the lawsuit says.

The 'Ashshishiyyin are back!

('Ashshishiyyin, or "hashish eaters", is the root of the English word assassin.)

Bad

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"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

SparkyGump's picture

This is the soul of capitalism laid bare.

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The real SparkyGump has passed. It was an honor being your human.

Wink's picture

@SparkyGump
just the best example of the fact that the Fortune 500 One Percenter futhermuckers not only don't give a flying fuck about the 99%, they don't give a flying fuck about the GI Joes protecting their assets.

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the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.

@SparkyGump

The reverse of the naked emperor parading non-existent clothing; with the dressing stripped off the soul of capitalism, what's revealed is... nothing there at all.

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Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.

@SparkyGump

The reverse of the naked emperor parading non-existent clothing; with the dressing stripped off the soul of capitalism, what's revealed is... nothing there at all.

And another 'timed out', hope this won't double.

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Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.

edg's picture

You didn't manage to fit Russia in, not even one measly time. Smile

Seriously, though, great work as always.

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Wink's picture

hanged for treason. If this stunt isn't aiding and abetting I don't know what is.

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the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.

of advertising time on television has caused me to do the opposite of what they intend.... I run as far away from doctors, hospitals and prescription drug, as I can.

On top of all that, we have the complete corruption of our medical systems by the middle men con artist insurance industry.

One can only hope that Bernie gets his single payer Medicare for all system into law before we are all crushed under the monster we have created.

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"Without the right to offend, freedom of speech does not exist." Taslima Nasrin

Great essay! Although I bitterly snickered at Trump criticizing drug manufacturers price-gouging the sick, when he's tossing out the shreds of protective regulation which at least reduces the masses made sick/injured/prematurely dead every year by corporate-created 'cost-cutting'/profitable hazards including industrial pollution and toxic additives in food, water and products, the workplace and the environment.

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0 users have voted.

Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.