"Seeing off" the weak and vulnerable"

The FT is a fine source of news as it doesn't bother to glaze the true motives of the elite with a layer of pretence. It says it like it sees it - with all the venality and contempt intact. The story of a massive transnational drug company "seeing off" attempts by a generic manufacturer to produce a cheaper version of a schizophrenia drug is written as a victory against the barbarians (allow me a little poetic license.)
For the already safe and comfortable to gloat over an industry gouging ever greater amounts out of overstretched public health services - (particularly a branch over which drugs interests wield a totally disproportionate influence ) is depressingly telling.
The recently released footage of an elderly immigrant woman dying in a waiting room in an american mental health facility provides a chilling counterpoint to this stockholder banditry.
I happen to work amongst these blunt instruments, drug rep beanos and discarded lives and am of the opinion that Capitalist fundamentalism is not the panacea for these ills.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/3b27ba56-4815-11dd-a851-000077b07658,Authorised=false.html?_i_location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fcms%2Fs%2F0%2F3b27ba56-4815-11dd-a851-000077b07658.html&_i_referer=

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/itn/20080702/twl-video-released-of-us-woman-dying-41f21e0.html



and another thing...
The belated national "debate" surrounding our "choice" between life and lifestyle often has the traditional characteristics of British public life. ie - clout out-muscles wisdom 9 times out of ten. But,,, we may be seeing a sea-change in that, a recent poll illustrates.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jul/02/climatechange.ethicalliving
Be of good cheer.