Martin Shkreli is the most hated man misunderstood man in America and I think he’s great!
“It is a crime for any citizen to sink away from controversy” -Solon
Martin Shkreli, draws a lot of vitriol once people recognize who he is.
When I first heard about this guy and the drug his firm picked up, developed and inflated over 500% my ears perked up and I thought, ‘here we go again, another Alessio Rastani looking to cash in on the misery of others. “Free Market Capitalism” at its worst USA! USA! USA!
However, since this story first made headlines last summer [2015] and as it has unfolded I’ve had a change of heart.
I’m convinced now not only is this man an artist, what he is doing, through his actions, is exposing the dirty underbelly of not only big pharma, but the whole health care industry from big insurance, to hospitals, to medical labs, staff and yes, Congress. We are being “edu-tained.”
It’s amazing how much hate has been thrusted upon one man when it is the whole health care system that is really rotten to the core.
First, let’s take a little step back into the past, for instance the marketing agreements given to big pharma by Congress for R&D, most of which is done at the university level, at tax payer expense. Yes, you Joe Taxpaying Public pay for all the years of research and development, all those meticulous and endless experiments and a good number of clinicals well before any drug is handed over to big pharma.
For example, let’s take one drug in particular, Bristol Myer Squibb’s (BMS) Taxol, this drug; a derivative of the yew tree, was developed at the University of Florida. BMS secured the patent to a drug that works to cure ovarian cancer.
Back in 2000 if a doctor recommended this drug to a woman with ovarian cancer the cost would run $2,300 per treatment, with a minimum of at least 6 treatments (roughly $14k), and after reevaluation perhaps another 6 or more treatments could be required – cancer is unpredictable. If you’re an older woman on a fixed income of say $20k a year, with no insurance, how do you afford that? Simple, you don’t, you suffer from the disease and die.
Was there any outrage by the public over the price of the life saving drug Taxol like there was over Martin Shkreli drug Daraprim? Absolutely none. It wasn’t even reported by the corporate owned media.
Martin Shkreli has done us all a tremendous service – he simply brought to the forefront, as a lone wolf, what big pharma does every day, treat us like fodder, and the ones with the most money, suffer less, live longer and better.
Now, there’s one thing the media hasn’t told us about Martin Shkreli, they didn’t tell anyone that those who need his drug, those who can’t afford the treatments will receive the drug upon request for free, yes, FREE. That he himself will bend over backwards to make sure those who can ill-afford the needed treatment receive what is required. Further, more of the profits from his drugs have gone into developing and producing rare drugs big pharma doesn’t want to bother with because they are rare and cause an undervalue to their profit margins.
The MSM demonizes this man simply for ad-revenue, and all the vilification and years of anger we feel towards big pharma is directed at one individual, when in reality it is the large corporations that are not only stealing our tax payer University R&D dollars, but taking what we give to each other as part of the common good and acting mostly as the middle-man selling it back to us for inflated prices, causing endless suffering and the death of our loved ones.
In a way, we do this to ourselves because we are unaware of their trickery and overwhelmed with just making ends meet. The bottom line is we have the power to understand the process and change it if we want, but it’s not a priority because we can’t seem to take the time. Maybe that will change. Martin’s instillation art, which is his life, is making people think, and trust me, it’s a good thing. Martin is really a natural born, modern teacher. Something we are just beginning to get a grip on.
This is why I want to say thank you to Martin Shkreli for being so brave by bringing this topic forward. I hope he continues running circles around the media holding this concern up high for all to see, at least until people make the connection that it is not one man holding health care hostage, but these large corporations holding us prisoners for their own deep and greedy pockets and our own ignorance.
I ask that he let us forget his charity, at least a little while longer, before his true humanity rises like cream to the top.
Maybe this time the American People will see who the daemons really are – Big Pharma, Big Medical, Big Media and Congress. Now that you know, what will you do?
In these times, buy accident or design, Martin Shkreli is a hero.
update 01/23/17
I knew he would expose them
I
Knew
It
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“It is better to deserve honors and not have them than to have them and not deserve them.” ― Mark Twain
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Updates:
MSNBC Interview
CNBC Congress
Vice interesting
Nut Job Jones trying to make money and outrage (in order to make more money) off pharam bro.
bloomberg
I’d like to interview Martin.
If you happen across this please contact me on twitter.
Best
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my advice pt 1
my advice pt 2
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The adventures of Martin Shkreli a pharmaceutical former hedge fund managing rock star and edu-tainment connoisseur.
art by evie ndg
almost everyday every once in a while I add one more
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I think someone should write a song called, pharma-bro
i.e.
(sung to the tune soldier boy – lame karaoke)
pharma bro
wall street’s little pharma bro
how you made the nation oh so blue?
you weren’t the first hedge-fund
and you won’t be the last hedge-fund
gouging pyri-meth-a-mine
was it the thing to do?
you can love the wu tang clan
2 million dollar wu tang clan
and now they’ll be your only love
[at least] they’ll be true to you
(til Kanye sells to you)
(interquaalude)
wherever you go
the SEC will follow
but calm your little nerves my friend
cause Congress will never see it through
they took your anti para sitic
to every port or foreign shore
darlin’, you must feel for sure
they’re gonna ram it through… your…
pharma bro
wall street’s little pharma bro
how you made the nation oh
the nation oh so blue
(needs some work – write a better one)
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… still, never forget, Those Who Live by the Media Sword, Die by the Media Sword.
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update: 03/06/17
“A Mexican patient urgently needed Daraprim. We’re legally not allowed to sell it in that country. I emailed Turing’s Head of R&D and very quickly the patient has been introduced to a local physician who can help. Healthcare is best when we step in with a helping hand if we can, no matter what the incentive is.” -Martin Shkreli
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update: 03/17/17
if wishes were fishes…
Keep in mind, when buying fish ask, is it Pacific or Atlantic? Farm or fresh?
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pssst… consider this
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"no doubt about it that nut's a genius" 