First, for those of you who are starting to shift in your seats, I have not lost my mind. Rather, I have come to a place of clarity. Truly.
I have done my due diligence. Put in the hours. Decided that just being polite (ie: expressing gratitude and playing along nicely like a well mannered advocate) is not going to cut it.
Nope. People are dying out here and I am one of them. Raising awareness? I haven’t got time for that. And, frankly, I question the actual value. It’s simply not enough to make people aware, we need to make them care.
Care not just about lung cancer, but also about core values. I mean, how did we come to a place where the primary incentive for developing drugs is financial?
Think about it. A pill is not a diamond—it’s just some powder encased in gelatin. And yet, because this system is so incredibly screwed up, the pharmaceutical industry is able to justify charging thousands and thousands of dollars for a months supply. Why? It goes back to something referred to as intellectual property. Essentially, justification for recouping investment. And, of course, reaping profit.
Well, I have to tell you that as a working artist, I don’t base the prices of my artwork on a concept as nebulous as intellectual property. If I did, my paintings would be priceless.
The incentive for developing new drugs should be, simply put, to ease human suffering. In fact, let’s drop incentive and instead call it moral imperative. And once developed no drug should be so dear, so ridiculously expensive, that those who truly need it cannot afford it.
Illness should not be viewed as an opportunity; healthcare as an industry. Which is not to say that researchers, providers, insurers, or those in the pharmaceutical business should work for free.
Appropriate compensation is justified. Over the top salaries such as those paid to these pharmaceutical CEO’s are not.
The Great Dictator was a satire made by Charlie Chaplin In 1940 and I am going to close today’s diatribe with this. A political vehicle, it condemned both fascism and antisemitism. The movie concludes with a speech that remains transcendent, and which is pertinent to far more than politics. Please take a few minutes to watch. And then think. Really think. About reason.
“Let us fight for a world of reason. A world where science and progress will lead to all men’s happiness.“
life and breath: outliving lung cancer 
” Call out the instigators
Because there’s something in the air
We’ve got to get together sooner or later
Because the revolution’s here, and you know it’s right
And you know that it’s right
We have got to get it together
We have got to get it together now”
Couldn’t agree more with you Linnea x
Ditto, and I couldn’t agree more with one of the comments posted on the link — “This speech should be taught to us from a young age like a prayer.” I wonder what it will take for enough people to feel this way strongly enough to make it so.
Thank you for initiating some deep thinking —
Kate xo
Healthcare should be provided by the government and it should be carefully monitored with strict punishment for those who try to manipulate the system and make some money. the major problem with government provided healthcare is, people, do corruption on different levels to make some money, forgetting how deep damage they cause to their society and to the poor who benefit from such programs.
Moral Imperatives = Mindfulness = actually caring about others than yourself and the fucking almighty dollar. ✊🏼