Big Government + Big Business = Big Trouble

This is an oldie that's been sitting in "draft" mode for quite some time. But the collusion between government and business is as old as civilization. It is certainly not surprising to us in Louisiana.

This latest installment is a story of the State of Texas (which has the power to coerce folks into getting vaccinations) in bed with the corporation Merck (which has the power to make millions upon millions of dollars upon selling vaccinations). It's not too difficult to see where this is headed...

This particular issue is loaded with outrages. First, parents, not government bureaucrats, ought to be in charge of their childrens' healthcare - especially when it comes to injecting viruses and various other chemicals into them (which, in the past, has included mercury and other toxic heavy metals). Compulsion and coercion not only violate individual liberty, but also create a captive economy in which Merck and other pharmaceutical giants can virtually charge any price - since insurance companies and taxes will ultimately cover most of the cost. Second, this type of cancer is spread sexually - and injecting 11 and 12 year old girls with it sends a horrible message about what is expected of them. Third, this is nothing more than corporate welfare (if not outright bribery), as Merck is giving thousands of dollars in campaign contributions to the governor (and other legislators) with the power to sign this coercive (and lucrative) bill into law. Of course, this is nothing new. But Merck's unabashed blatency about it - doing it in the open as opposed to in the smoke-filled room - is revealing. Dishonesty and corruption have gone beyond shameful deeds done in secret and have become the accepted way of doing things - until one gets caught and there is some backlash, of course. That's when the "spin" department is called in for "damage control." That's just how the game is played.

The irony is that you might expect big corporations to be in favor of the free market. Not so. They are in favor of making huge profits. A captive market based on compusion, one that thwarts the free-market's limit on the price one can charge for a commodity, is preferable to executives and shareholders alike over and against a free-enterprise approach in which consumers make choices in an open, competition-laden market and vote with their dollars.

I know some will object that the State does allow exceptions, and that "lives will be saved" by this vaccination. However, why should making decisions regarding one's children be a matter of additional paperwork, to be considered an "exception"? Furthermore, not every offering from Big Pharma is actually safe. For the same institution that is being lobbied and feted with money, gifts, and bribes is in charge of safety oversight and regulation. Hence it is of little surprise when drugs and vaccines routinely administered to Americans by the hundreds of thousands or even millions turn out to be unsafe. The cost of litigation is simply rolled into the highly inflated costs of these drugs, and a few "broken eggs" (injuries or death) are just considered a "cost of doing business."

I don't know that any society will ever separate the economy from state compulsion, but what would be a good idea would be for parents to do research before vaccinating their children (you might be shocked at what you'll find) and use your parental authority to decide for yourself what kind of health care your children will receive. You can't control governors or boards of directors of international corporations, but you can control what goes into the minds and veins of your own families. Don't be afraid to educate yourself and put your foot down when the two-headed hydra of Big Government and Big Business wants to feed its insatiable appetite by using your children as parasitic hosts and guinea pigs.