Posted by Steve on July 06, 2003 at 22:44:54:
In Reply to: Re: Microislet JDRF Hybrid Funding posted by klausen on July 06, 2003 at 19:50:42:
But of course capitalism involves private force being exercised with little restraint, or did you really think that, a la Adam Smith, the people working for minimum wage at McBurgers stores really freely negotiated with their employers for those wages?
So here we are it all about the exploitation of labor. It is the unfair profits made by the burger storeowner on the back of the poor employees. Except that there is no force. The employees could better themselves, could save and open their own store. It happens all the time, all across America. In fact the original story of McDonalds was a story of a man who saw just such an opportunity while working as a exploited and enslaved man (as you say) for an employer. Of course you will never see that he was free just as his employees are. Now you can argue about the fruit of his labor but millions worldwide freely enjoy his food.
Regarding insulin: I read several years ago a story of a man that was trapped in China during World War II. He was an American and had much to fear from the Japanese. He was also a type I cut off from any supply of insulin. His solution was to get the published material on how to make insulin and proceed to make what he needed. So if you are not happy with Lilly's price the buy from Nordisk. If you are not content with the prices of either then make your own. Better yet if the prices are not fair then make it for everyone and I will buy at a cheaper price, freely. All of the intellectual property on insulin has run off patent except for the newer Rapid acting analogs and the Adventis insulin. So you can freely make beef, pork, human recombinant and others. There is no FORCE and no guns.