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Science for People or Profit?
In this particular case I agree with President Obama. I feel certain that he has acted out of conscience, but his responsibility begins and ends with passing the law. The question that troubles me more is whether the scientists involved and the drug companies who fund the research can be trusted to act out of their conscience. Their past record has not been laudable.
Research and production has always been motivated by profits. It seems to me -- though I must confess I don't have the figures readily availaable to prove my point -- that Pharmaceutical companies have poured billions into research and production of drugs like Viagra, money that could have been used to finding cures for cancer and other diseases that take a heavy toll of mankind. If stem cell research submits to the profit motive, then the sacrifice of the nation's conscience to bring about relief for those who are really suffering will be a heavy price to pay.
By
Arun Gandhi
|
March 10, 2009; 12:00 AM ET
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Posted by: Paganplace | March 15, 2009 4:20 PM
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Well, this is why government-funded research is of importance: the pharmaceutical companies are less interested in 'pure science' and curing disease than in the most-immediately-profitable thing. Bush's policy certainly allowed the corporations to use embryonic stem cells to try and make a *buck,* despite the self-righteous fears of his supporters claiming it was about 'definitions of life.'
Posted by: Paganplace | March 15, 2009 4:13 PM
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*testing.*
The reason, Mr. Gandhi, that it's important there's *government* funding, rather than the corporate-only research that the Bush administration policies allowed, despite claims it's about 'life.' Pharmaceutical companies and the like *are* merely looking to the balance sheets, often leaving the pure science and such to universities and the government.