Recently, an acquaintance shared article on Facebook, Cancer industry not looking for a cure; they’re too busy making money. It’s classic conspiracy theory nonsense. The points presented—no points are actually made—are so far-fetched that they’re not even worth commenting on. One example:
There is no real incentive to cure something that generates so much employment and profit; just imagine all of the cancer treatment specialists and their staff members who would be out of a job if this disease was ever cured.
As if cancer is some one single disease with one simplistic cure that eliminates all cancer from the entire human race! That’s the illusion created by Nixon’s “War on Cancer."
Of course, cancers do get cured. Some get managed to extend lives. Some cancers are not cured. Some don’t yet have effective treatments. But there is no one disease called “cancer.” It is many, many diseases that require many, many paths of research. But plenty of progress has been made against cancer, nonetheless. It’s a long and torturous progress; but progress nonetheless.
Anyway, I left this Facebook comment:
There's no such thing as a "cancer industry." There are companies that make money creating products that reduce suffering and extend life. That's what "making money" means--to make stuff people value and willingly pay for. Someone close to me was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease at age 11. If not for the medicines created by profit-seeking pharmaceutical/biotech companies, this person wouldn't have grown into the thriving young adult he is today. There wouldn't be millions saved by organ transplants if not for the medical device and pharma industries. Cancer treatments have steadily advanced over my lifetime. I know plenty of cancer survivors among friends and family members. People and companies don't profit from cancer. They profit from extending lives. What a noble way to make money. This article would have us believe in some grand conspiracy involving tens of thousands of people, hundreds of companies, and who knows how many doctors. But that's all it is--dangerous conspiracy-theory quackery. It's sad to think of how many people might forgo valuable treatment because of this line of thinking.
These anti-science, anti-profit conspiracy theory peddlers are not just fringe nut cases. They do real damage by discouraging people from getting treatment that can help them. They consition people from getting not only cancer treatment, but vaccines as well. They are dangerous frauds.
Related Reading:
Promising trends and advances in the fight against cancer
Basic Cancer Research Funding: Don’t Forget Pharma
NJ Researchers Achieve Cancer Breakthrough
Gene Therapy Scientists Play God, Attack Cancer, Win by me for The Objective Standard
Heroic Scientists Achieve Major Advancement in Battle Against Cancer by me for The Objective Standard
Reason Delivers Again by Craig Biddle for The Objective Standard
No comments:
Post a Comment