Evil Capitalists Saving Lives

Money is incentive.  Greed is good.

You may have heard about the hedge fund manager who spent $55 million to buy the rights to some drug that helps people with messed up immune systems.  Things like HIV, malaria, and others.

The cost of one dose went from $13.50 to $750.

All of the socialists, and many conservatives are screaming that this sucks the big one, and something needs to be done.

Lives are at risk!  Babies will die!  Capitalism is evil!

True enough, some lives may be at risk, and some babies might die.  But capitalism is not evil.  In fact, it's what produces all of the "wonder drugs" we have access to today.

Without capitalism - without greed - there are very few people with enough private money that are willing to forego a profit to do the research, testing, approval regime, marketing, manufacturing and distribution of so much as a baby aspirin.

The greedy drug companies must be forced to provide these life-saving drugs for the greater good!

I can just about guarantee you, that is exactly what is going to happen in this case.  Some self-important congressman or senator is going to flap his gums and thump his chest on all of the cable news channels, and get some law passed.

They're gonna bitch-slap this evil capitalist.

Now, some of you so-called conservatives will agree with this confiscation of property.  You're going to justify this by saying that this drug has been around for over 60 years, and he has no right to jack up the price just because he wants to get rich.

How do you think this is going to play in the board rooms of the drug companies and medical equipment innovators that are in the middle of inventing the next miracle drug or device?  Do you think that they're going to invest the billions of dollars it takes to develop their product, THEN to get through all of the bullshit regulations?

Why the hell would they risk their capital if someone - who HASN'T invested billions of dollars - can set the "fair market" price of their product?

They're not going to do it.  And we're all going to suffer for it.

To put a finer point on this, in 1950 (just before this drug was invented) the average US life expectancy was 68.2 years.  In 2010, it was 78.7 years.  Ten and a half more years of life, and a major portion of that can be attributed to the drugs and equipment that are now available to cure everything from AIDS to high cholesterol.

You disagree that their greed has extended your life?  Then throw out every damned drug in your household.  Not just some, but every damned one, to show how principled an individual you really are.

And while you're at it, the next time you're seriously ill, be sure to refuse treatment from the MRI's and CT scans, the heart stents, the dialysis machines, et al.  Someone built those to make a dirty, disgusting profit, and you don't want to be a hypocrite, right?

Capitalism and Freedom spawn innovation and advancement.  Socialism and Statism destroy them.

The "Greater Good" benefits from individual greed.

Risk begets reward.  Mess with that equation, and you're literally messing with your life.

***

Let me nip this in the bud right now:  OK, Chief, you'd be singing a different tune if you or your family had to pay these exorbitant prices!

Actually, no I wouldn't.  I would find a way to pay for it.  You see, I have not allowed myself to become dependent on The State for my well-being.  I assume that some shit like this WILL happen to me, and I've planned for that.

Would I be pissed off?  Oh, hell yes!  But I sure as hell wouldn't sit wallowing in my tears waiting for The State to fix my problem.  I'd find a solution.

I hope I'd remember an incident that I just witness with my own eyes:  A friend and partner recently died.

And he was brought back from the dead.  His heart had to be restarted 3 times.  For 20 minutes, they poked, shocked and provided air to his unresponsive body as it lay on his bedroom floor.  In the hospital, after viewing an MRI of his heart, they found his main cardiac artery was 100% clogged.  They inserted a stent in his heart, and restored blood flow.

Due to the combination of technology, drugs and medical expertise, he was home 6 days after this heart attack - a heart attack from which he would not have survived only 10 years ago.  He was back at work 14 days after he had died.

I'm pretty sure he's OK with the capitalist system that invented the drugs and equipment that restored his life.  You should be, too.



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Copyright 2015 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

Stop The Pity Party!

I saw this image yesterday, and knew it was going to be a rough day today.

The national pity party was gearing up.

"Oh, a rainbow coming from the new Trade Center..... Unity and remembrance....  A sense of renewal and hope...."

I wanted to projectile vomit.

I awoke this morning to Fox news (TV was left on over night) and some kid reading a list of names.  My initial foggy reaction was, "WTF?"  Then, a bell rang on TV - signifying when the first plane struck the World Trade Center - and that snapped me out of my slumber.

Let The Pity Party Begin!!

We do this shit every year.  This celebration of victimhood.  If you lost someone that day, OK, mourn their passing.  I get that.

But that's not what this is all about.  It's the "6 Degrees of Separation" victimhood it seems everyone has to the events from 14 years ago.

"My dog was bred at a kennel in San Diego, and the kennel owner had just returned from a visit to his grandmother in NYC.  JUST TWO DAYS BEFORE THE ATTACK!  I'm still reeling from the experience."

I want to punch them in the head.  If you're not a victim, you're just not cool.

How about this?  If we MUST do something on this day, how about we celebrate the actual, bonafide heroes from that day.

Yes, many of the cops and firefighters for sure, did incredibly heroic acts.  But also shine the light on the regular, every-day people who performed acts of bravery to help others without the expectation of reward.

Tell their story to help us shake off this, "I'm scared of the boogie-man" mentality.  Shine the light on the people who put their lives in danger to save the life of another.

THAT'S how you build a strong national culture of service and community.

Like the 24 year old equities trader who saved 18 lives before he was killed.

Or the chef who saved hundreds, and who died because he went back to help a woman in a wheelchair.

Or the internet entrepreneur who was the first death of the day as he fought the hijackers, but was ultimately stabbed to death.  A plane full of people, but he's the one that took action.

Heroism is defined by your actions, not by your job.

Encourage and celebrate bravery and success.  Stop with the victim mentality and end this national pity party.

Stop cowering, and grow a pair, America.


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Copyright 2015 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

I'll Put My Money On History

Ahhh, the pause that refreshes.

While on my break, I had some time to think.  Here are some semi-random thoughts:

1.  Diversity - We all know that this is a code word for affirmative action.  There aren't enough women or minorities in various businesses or industries, and it MUST be changed.

Why?

In essence, it's saying that regardless of skills, effort, ambition or qualifications, you must have a minimum number of blacks/Hispanics/Asians/women in your company.  The Party Line is that it will bring a new persepective to the company, and things will be all rainbows and unicorns.

That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard.

Hey, if it's such a great idea, why don't you start your own company with under/non-skilled employees and see how that works for you?  [queue chirping crickets]

Don't you idiots think that if skin color or personal plumbing were more important than skills for a successful business, it would have already been done?  

Diversity in the workplace is more important than skills in the workplace.

Read that out loud so you can hear how stupid it sounds.


And that's one of the big problems with our country right now.  The socialists - with their diversity and inclusiveness programs - never put their own money where their mouth is.  They take OUR money instead.  They are unwilling to risk their own capital on their Great Experiment, but they're damned quick to risk yours.

There are LOTS of rich socialists - Soros and the majority of rich Hollywood actors leap to mind.  Pony up a pile of your own money, and then walk away.  And when that money is gone, pony up another pile.  And another, and another.

They're "entitled" to it, aren't they?

As a side note, it's also a slap in the face of the minorities/women that are in these programs.  It is acknowledgement that you, as an individual, can't make it on your own.

Wipe your own ass, get some education, and grow a pair.  You're not a victim, you're just not willing to take the time to develop the skills needed to succeed.

2.  Going Cashless - It's raising its ugly head again.  I wrote about this last May (Buh-Bye Cash) - it is in all government's best interest to outlaw cash transactions.  Why?  Control and taxes.

France has now, once again, lowered the bar for cash transactions.  It's gone from 3000 euros to 1000 euros.  Soon enough, it will be zero.

They always justify it with the "common good" explanations - druggies and terrorists with their money laundering schemes. 

That's unadulterated crap.

If a transaction happens in cash, it can't be taxed, because it isn't in a database somewhere and The State doesn't know it happened.  Also, the various world entities such as our Federal Reserve Bank can't discourage savings (and encourage spending) by placing negative interest rates on deposit accounts.

Right now, if you're getting charged by the bank to hold your money (negative rates), you take it out in cash and hide it under the mattress.  If everything is electronic-only, you've got to spend the money or see it "die a death of a thousand cuts" - slowly frittering away to nothing as it sits in an account.

See, The State knows better than you on how you should manage your money.  Spend it, and sales happen.  When sales happen, they get their taxes.  All good!

What rational people do is to buy durable, trade-able goods.   Toilet paper, tools, guns, ammo, soap, dried foods, etc. 

And precious metals.  It's all about preservation of assets. 

Look to Venezuela, Greece and Argentina right now.  When you impose either capital controls (such as described above) or have hyper-inflation, tangible assets are your only safe haven.

Serious as a heart attack, get thee some precious metals, and practice, practice, practice your negotiating skills.  Go to garage sales, buy and sell on Craigslist, go to a farmer's market and haggle.  Get over your reluctance to negotiate.

Your future well being will depend upon it.


3.  Police murders - This recent spate of out-and-out executions of police officers is, I fear, just the start.  Years ago, when the obscene abuses perpetrated by some police officers - which were then swept under the rug - started coming to light, I noted that people were eventually going to push back, and it would be done violently.

I'm talking about things like brutal beatings for standing up for your rights, no-knock warrants, shootings, asset forfeitures, killing of yard dogs, arrests on trumped up charges, etc.  Now, with the widespread use of smartphone cameras, the formerly unquestioned word of the Boys In Blue that were abusing the citizens can be shown to be lies.

The abuse of Color of Authority was more widespread than we had thought.

Let's be clear:  I am in no way condoning or approving of these murders, I'm just saying that I saw this result coming from a mile away.

I've stated that the only way to head this off was for police chiefs and Sheriffs to quickly and very publicly discipline/fire/prosecute offending officers, instead of the usual "reassignment" or other non-punishment that was typically meted out.

I'm pleased to see that this punishment is happening with greater frequency, but I think it's too little, too late.

We've now got this bullshit, "Black Lives Matter" circle jerk, and it's stirring things up.  Not the non-PC "All Lives Matter," only black lives. 

I was listening to the radio this past week, and the host noted that in the US each year, about 100 blacks are killed by white police officers each year.  That includes everything - justifiable and non-justifiable.  Also each year, 5600 blacks kill other blacks.  A 56-to-1 ratio.  I'm going out on a limb here and guessing an incredibly low percentage of those were justifiable.

So I guess their slogan should be changed to, "Black Lives Matter Unless You're Also Black."

To emphasize the insanity of this movement, a black guy who calls himself, "King Nobel, Black Supremacy", posted this (watch the whole 3 minute video) [link] -

"It's open season on killing whites and police... and they better make some serious, serious changes... social changes... at this point, 'cuz it ain't lookin' good." 

As the Israelis do with the Muslims, I believe him.  When some group says they want to slaughter a group to which I'm a member - I take that seriously.

Their approach is taking our collective eye off the ball:  We've got a handful of bad cops that need to be dealt with quickly and publicly.

This psycho thinks that by making it "open season" on anyone or any group, the problem will go away.  Instead of going after the specific offenders - legally - I believe this "wipe 'em all out" approach will result in a similarly aggressive and violent response.

Got range time?  Got SecondCall Defense?

3B.  Social Justice - Is this the kind of social justice you're looking for, King Nobel?

Dr. Anderson’s instinct, he said, is that of a “social justice thinker” who is “evening the scales a little bit.” He said that the children he sees with academic problems are essentially “mismatched with their environment” — square pegs chafing the round holes of public education. Because their families can rarely afford behavior-based therapies like tutoring and family counseling, he said, medication becomes the most reliable and pragmatic way to redirect the student toward success.

“People who are getting A’s and B’s, I won’t give it to them,” he said. For some parents the pills provide great relief. Jacqueline Williams said she can’t thank Dr. Anderson enough for diagnosing A.D.H.D. in her children — Eric, 15; Chekiara, 14; and Shamya, 11 — and prescribing Concerta, a long-acting stimulant, for them all. She said each was having trouble listening to instructions and concentrating on schoolwork.

“My kids don’t want to take it, but I told them, ‘These are your grades when you’re taking it, this is when you don’t,’ and they understood,” Ms. Williams said, noting that Medicaid covers almost every penny of her doctor and prescription costs.

Holy shit.  Drug 'em up and get 'em in line.  Hey, and it's free, too.  Well, it's free to those getting the blow dart in the neck.  It's not free to the dwindling ranks of tax payers. 

I'll bet this works out as well as welfare and affirmative action have worked out.

New motto for Medicaid:  Building victims and dependents, one dose at a time...

***

So, what do all of these things have in common?  They are all about your personal freedom.  More precisely, they are rooted in some form of government using its power to restrict your freedoms.

No freedom to choose with whom you work or hire, no freedom to terminate bad government or private employees, no freedom to educate your children as you see fit, no freedom to spend your earned money as you see fit, and no freedom to keep the money you've earned.

It takes work, effort and planning, but if your assets are "above board" - in bank accounts, savings accounts, retirement accounts, trading accounts - they are all subject to seizure or control by a State entity.

As noted earlier, the Black Lives Matter bullshit is, well, bullshit.  But, it is but a symptom of a greater, socialist/control cancer that's in our country - and it's spreading quite rapidly.

It's ALWAYS about the money.

Once The State's, "Wizard Of Oz: lever-pulling eventually fails to keep the markets and financial systems in line, what do you think will be the result?

Once again, I direct you to Venezuela, Greece and Argentina for a preview of things to come.  State control of markets and financial systems has NEVER worked in the history of the world.  Every time it's been tried, it has failed.  Without exception.

Capital controls result in shortages of goods because The State won't allow money to flow out so goods can be purchased.  The shortages result in civil unrest, and the collapse of public safety. 

In short:  Those that have become dependent upon The State with their worthless Barry Bucks still want to eat.  Empty shelves and a full EBT card are not a good combination for people with no skills.  And then the shit hits the fan.

I could be wrong, but if I were a betting man, I'd be putting my money on history...


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Copyright 2015 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com