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You Don't Matter to Drugmakers
Big pharma executives are going all out to paint themselves as the good guys — just not to you.
Mar 03, 2016
If you wonder why Congress critters keep ignoring what the people want them to do -- while doing things that people don't want them doing -- take a peek at the unique PR campaign now being run by the pharmaceutical industry.
The public is dismayed and disgusted by the flagrant greed of drugmakers that are shamefully zooming the prices of medicines into the stratosphere, turning necessities into unaffordable luxuries. As a result, there's a growing demand for Congress to take action to stop the industry's out-of-control price gouging.
To counter this, drug companies have launched a massive advertising campaign. They're running ads on radio, in print, and on Facebook and Twitter painting themselves as the good guys.
Yet you probably haven't seen or heard any of them. That's because drug chieftains don't care what you and I think. Moreover, they know they couldn't possibly persuade us to let them keep jacking up their prices.
Instead, their "public" relations effort has made the odd and seemingly counterproductive move of sidestepping the actual public to narrowly target a very tiny audience.
As Celgene executive Bob Hugin arrogantly put it: "We've identified 7,000 Americans who matter." The other 330 million of us, apparently, are nobodies.
"We're focusing on those in policy positions," Hugin sniffed, "to fight structural issues." By that, he means convincing Congress not to reform the present pricing structure of monopolistic drugmakers, whose guiding corporate ethic is "bleed 'em for all they've got."
So this is a surreptitious PR campaign meant to reach only the eyes and ears of policy elites. The goal is to have Congress -- once again -- ignore what the people want it to do, thus allowing the corporate few "who matter" to keep fleecing the rest of us.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
This column was distributed by OtherWords.
Jim Hightower
Jim Hightower is a national radio commentator, writer, public speaker, and author of the books "Swim Against The Current: Even A Dead Fish Can Go With The Flow" (2008) and "There's Nothing in the Middle of the Road But Yellow Stripes and Dead Armadillos: A Work of Political Subversion" (1998). Hightower has spent three decades battling the Powers That Be on behalf of the Powers That Ought To Be - consumers, working families, environmentalists, small businesses, and just-plain-folks.
If you wonder why Congress critters keep ignoring what the people want them to do -- while doing things that people don't want them doing -- take a peek at the unique PR campaign now being run by the pharmaceutical industry.
The public is dismayed and disgusted by the flagrant greed of drugmakers that are shamefully zooming the prices of medicines into the stratosphere, turning necessities into unaffordable luxuries. As a result, there's a growing demand for Congress to take action to stop the industry's out-of-control price gouging.
To counter this, drug companies have launched a massive advertising campaign. They're running ads on radio, in print, and on Facebook and Twitter painting themselves as the good guys.
Yet you probably haven't seen or heard any of them. That's because drug chieftains don't care what you and I think. Moreover, they know they couldn't possibly persuade us to let them keep jacking up their prices.
Instead, their "public" relations effort has made the odd and seemingly counterproductive move of sidestepping the actual public to narrowly target a very tiny audience.
As Celgene executive Bob Hugin arrogantly put it: "We've identified 7,000 Americans who matter." The other 330 million of us, apparently, are nobodies.
"We're focusing on those in policy positions," Hugin sniffed, "to fight structural issues." By that, he means convincing Congress not to reform the present pricing structure of monopolistic drugmakers, whose guiding corporate ethic is "bleed 'em for all they've got."
So this is a surreptitious PR campaign meant to reach only the eyes and ears of policy elites. The goal is to have Congress -- once again -- ignore what the people want it to do, thus allowing the corporate few "who matter" to keep fleecing the rest of us.
Jim Hightower
Jim Hightower is a national radio commentator, writer, public speaker, and author of the books "Swim Against The Current: Even A Dead Fish Can Go With The Flow" (2008) and "There's Nothing in the Middle of the Road But Yellow Stripes and Dead Armadillos: A Work of Political Subversion" (1998). Hightower has spent three decades battling the Powers That Be on behalf of the Powers That Ought To Be - consumers, working families, environmentalists, small businesses, and just-plain-folks.
If you wonder why Congress critters keep ignoring what the people want them to do -- while doing things that people don't want them doing -- take a peek at the unique PR campaign now being run by the pharmaceutical industry.
The public is dismayed and disgusted by the flagrant greed of drugmakers that are shamefully zooming the prices of medicines into the stratosphere, turning necessities into unaffordable luxuries. As a result, there's a growing demand for Congress to take action to stop the industry's out-of-control price gouging.
To counter this, drug companies have launched a massive advertising campaign. They're running ads on radio, in print, and on Facebook and Twitter painting themselves as the good guys.
Yet you probably haven't seen or heard any of them. That's because drug chieftains don't care what you and I think. Moreover, they know they couldn't possibly persuade us to let them keep jacking up their prices.
Instead, their "public" relations effort has made the odd and seemingly counterproductive move of sidestepping the actual public to narrowly target a very tiny audience.
As Celgene executive Bob Hugin arrogantly put it: "We've identified 7,000 Americans who matter." The other 330 million of us, apparently, are nobodies.
"We're focusing on those in policy positions," Hugin sniffed, "to fight structural issues." By that, he means convincing Congress not to reform the present pricing structure of monopolistic drugmakers, whose guiding corporate ethic is "bleed 'em for all they've got."
So this is a surreptitious PR campaign meant to reach only the eyes and ears of policy elites. The goal is to have Congress -- once again -- ignore what the people want it to do, thus allowing the corporate few "who matter" to keep fleecing the rest of us.
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