He's A Pro
In the latest issue of the University Of Chicago Magazine (I sometimes look at it for a minute before tossing it), Elliot J. Favus, MD ’01 writes in to complain that Professor Richard Epstein got off too easy last issue. As Favus puts it:
Epstein has staked out political ground much too far to the right to be capable of a balanced look at any form of government regulation, especially something as important to big business as the FDA [....] I have known the professor since I was a medical student at the University. Make no mistake: he is an unapologetic pro-business spokesman who, given the chance, would reduce the role of the FDAElliot, it's like this. Epstein isn't pro-busines, he's pro-free market. A lot a businesses like their cozy relationship with governmental agencies, so Epstein's remedies are the last thing they'd want. Get your screed straight.
to a rubber stamp, in much the same way as some would eliminate the U.S. Departments of Education and Energy. I have no doubt that his proposals for FDA reform would increase the number of Vioxx-like cases.
And this may suprise you, Elliot, but companies, whether or not they're heavily regulated, really hate Vioxx-like cases and will go to great lengths to avoid them.
posted by LAGuy @ 12:12 AM
5 Comments:
Is it just me or is there something so comically feverish about Elliot's accusation? In Elliot's world, everyone -- everyone! -- knows it's wrong to be far right and pro-business but here's a professor who doesn't even have the good manners to conceal his own poor judgment. He's unapologetic! The nerve!
Elliott needs to get out more.
Geez, LAGuy and Irene, you left out the most important thing: Did Elliot discuss whether the companies were for profit? Don't any of you people read newspapers? If they were for profit, they're effectively evil, if not outright so. If they're non-profit, that means they're working in the interest of the common man.
Basics, people, don't lose sight of the basics.
While Dr. Favus does write an argument like someone with a medical degree (and thus sets himself up as a living straw man for Epstein-lovers) For his purposes, pro-business is the same as pro-free market and one would be hard-pressed to think Epstein is capable of balanced viewpoint on this and is anything other than one the far end of the spectrum.(whether thats good or bad is another issue) and its certainly fair to see him as incapable of of a balanced look. Epstein's ideas don't become mainstream or palatable just because they're poorly attacked by some pissant doctor.
But everyone understands Epstein is giving his opinions and not a disinterested analysis of various points of view. The question is how convincing his arguments are, not where on the politic spectrum his conclusions fall.
Also, he is not right wing--he's more a libertarian, which is not the same thing at all. And pro-business is not pro-free market, even for Favus's purposes (or Big Pharm's, for that matter).
Pro-business is not the same as pro-free market? It is for Elliot, who has never read PJO's line, when buying and selling are controlled by legislation, the first things to be bought and sold are the legislators.
Too bad Elliot will never understand that the biggest socialists in America are not in the Democrat party, but in any business trade association.
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