Monday, December 06, 2004
People before profits
In November the Cuban biotech success story made the Dallas Morning News and was discussed here; today a similar story appears in Wired magazine. This, from the author of the article, pretty much sums up the difference between socialism and capitalism:
"It's like Castro said: They don't really like patents. They like medicine. Cuba's drug pipeline is most interesting for what it lacks: grand-slam moneymakers, cures for baldness or impotence or wrinkles. It's all cancer therapies, AIDS medications, and vaccines against tropical diseases."Cancer therapies, AIDS medications, and vaccines." What are those crazy Cubans thinking, anyway? Oh yes, I remember now - people before profits!
"That's probably why US and European scientists have a soft spot for their Cuban counterparts. Everywhere north of the Florida Keys, once-magical biotech has become just another expression of venture-driven capitalism. Leave it to the Cubans to make it revolutionary again."
