MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'corruption'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:01:49 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086560&cid=t_113044_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FfEJZC4F4xVU%2F Good morning, everyone. Hope you had a nice weekend. Now, of course, the routine resumes, although this is often a slow time of year. Nonetheless, there is much to be done here in the official Pharmalot c-suite, where we are catching up on interesting documents and conversations. And of course, we are brewing that mandatory cup of stimulation and invite you to join us. Meanwhile, here are a few tidbits from around the world. Hope your day goes well and you accomplish much… Teva’s Copaxone Successor Fails In Latest Clinical Trial (Bloomberg News) Pfizer Says FDA Delays Prevnar Review For Three Months (Bloomberg News) Cuba Sentences Pharma Execs For Corruption (Associated Press) Japan’s Shionogi Acquires C&O Pharmaceutical Tech (ChannelNewsAsia) New FDA Commish Asks Co... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086560 Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:00:25 +0100 5086560 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5051048&cid=t_113044_133_f&fid=35452&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.graphictruth.com%2F2011%2F07%2Fstart-of-end-of-empire.html Graphic courtesy New England SecessionThe downfall of the Murdoch empire is well underway, and the conventional wisdom seems to be that this will be limited to "the Murdoch Empire." And in a sense, perhaps it will be - but you really must think in terms of what that empire entails.If you think only in terms of media, you would be quite wrong. If you were to think in terms of influence and corruption - well, you would be closer to the mark. If you were to think in terms of "what would have happened had Murdoch been against the Iraq war" - well, now, you are starting to get the shape of it. But you'd still be out of scale.Media and money influence in two ways - by what they choose to "invest" in and what they choose to ignore. And both depend very heavily indeed upon credibility. RJ Esk... Graphictruth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5051048 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 02:18:00 +0100 5051048 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4984425&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fdc5odoAUT3A%2F By Tim LynchJudge Mark Wolf  gets some well-deserved recognition in a New York Times editorial today for his spectacular effort to bring some accountability to the FBI scandal involving gangster informants.  Here’s an excerpt: The judge uncovered that John Connolly Jr., the F.B.I. agent who was their handler, had protected Mr. Bulger, a 15-year informant, and Mr. Flemmi, a 25-year informant, as they committed murder and conspired with the Mafia, in exchange for leads about the Mafia. It was Mr. Connolly who tipped off Mr. Bulger that he was about to be indicted and sent him on the lam. Judge Wolf testified against the F.B.I. agent at a 2002 trial before another judge. Mr. Connolly was sentenced to 10 years for racketeering, obstruction of justice and making false statements to inve... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4984425 Wed, 29 Jun 2011 15:43:13 +0100 4984425 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4975830&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F5wSlBN3174w%2F By Daniel J. MitchellIt appears that American taxpayers are about to subsidize another Greek bailout (via the Keystone Cops at the IMF). This is way beyond economically foolish. It is also morally offensive. To turn Winston Churchill’s famous quote upside down, “Never have so many paid so much to subsidize such an undeserving few.” Let’s start with a few facts: Greece’s GDP is roughly equal to the GDP of Maryland. Greece’s population is roughly equal to the population of Ohio. Despite that small size, in both terms of population and economic output, Greece already has received a bailout of about $150 billion (actual amount fluctuates with the exchange rate). Don’t forget the indirect bailout resulting from purchases of Greek government bonds by the European Central Bank. No... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4975830 Tue, 28 Jun 2011 15:11:00 +0100 4975830 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921693&cid=t_113044_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2011%2F06%2F09%2Fthey-asked-us-to-leave-what-could-we-do%2F New Actual Malice cartoon by Trussell & Trussell: They Asked Us to Leave. What Could We Do? Filed under: Actual Malice, Journalism Tagged: advertorial, corruption, government, Media (Source: Donna Trussell) Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921693 Thu, 09 Jun 2011 13:40:53 +0100 4921693 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4847920&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F05%2Frunning-away-from-problem-of-health.html Despite its likely importance, the very concept of health care corruption remains highly anechoic.  Last week's Lancet, however, actually mentioned it, albeit indirectly and ironically.(1)  The context was Richard Horton's discussion of a press conference on the final report of the UN Secretary-General's Commission on Information and Accountability for Women's and Children's Health. It appears that accountability, which we consistently advocate, was central to the report:The big conclusion is that a huge accountability gap exists - we have incredibly weak mechanisms to make sure that the billions spent on women's and children's health are delivering the results we expect.The report listed "ten commandments of women's and children's health, [which] aim to fill that accountability ... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4847920 Fri, 20 May 2011 16:11:00 +0100 4847920 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841440&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FtYpomVeivos%2F By Tad DeHavenA year-long investigation by the Washington Post into the Department of Housing & Urban Development’s HOME affordable housing program uncovered systemic waste, fraud, and abuse. The tale is yet another example of why the federal government should extricate itself from housing policy and allow the states to chart their own course. The piece is lengthy and should be read by interested readers in its entirety, so I’ll just excerpt the Post’s findings: Local housing agencies have doled out millions to troubled developers, including novice builders, fledgling nonprofits and groups accused of fraud or delivering shoddy work. Checks were cut even when projects were still on the drawing boards, without land, financing or permits to move forward. In at least 55 cases, dev... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841440 Tue, 17 May 2011 18:07:26 +0100 4841440 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4828815&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F05%2Fglobal-fund-will-not-suppress.html Some good news to discuss, for a change....We previously discussed losses from corruption reported by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, and by the Health Alliance International here.  At the time, we noted that some experts in health care corruption praised the Global Fund for being transparent about the effects of corruption.However, last week there was concern that some elements within the Global Fund thought that the best response to losses due to corruption would be hiding them.  As reported by the AP (via CBS):  A global health fund championed by celebrities and world leaders is considering scaling back its groundbreaking philosophy of full transparency about how it spends billions of dollars in health care in poor countries. Its d... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4828815 Mon, 16 May 2011 19:40:00 +0100 4828815 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4723792&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FG4RMdp2wHCI%2F By Daniel J. MitchellSince it is tax-filing season and we all want to honor our wonderful tax system, let’s go into the archives and show this video from last year about the onerous compliance costs of the internal revenue code. Narrated by Hiwa Alaghebandian of the American Enterprise Institute, the mini-documentary explains how needless complexity creates an added burden – sort of like a hidden tax that we pay for the supposed privilege of paying taxes. Two things from the video are worth highlighting. First, we should make sure to put most of the blame on Congress. As Ms. Alaghebandian notes, the IRS is in the unenviable position of trying to enforce Byzantine tax laws. Yes, there are examples of grotesque IRS abuse, but even the most angelic group of bureaucrats would have... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4723792 Mon, 18 Apr 2011 13:03:38 +0100 4723792 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4642575&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F0-9tGgFrTbk%2F By Daniel J. MitchellA previous post of mine at International Liberty addressed the debate over whether Republicans should trim the IRS's budget. The following case study should convince everyone that the answer is a resounding yes. First, some background from a Joe Nocera column in the New York Times. The federal government made a rather troubling decision a few years ago to investigate, prosecute, and ultimately imprison a random home-loan borrower named Charlie Engle for the crime of mortgage fraud. Mr. Engle is far from blameless in this saga, but I noted in another post that it was rather odd that the government would target a nobody while letting all the big fish swim away. This episode certainly paints a picture of a government that has one set of rules for ordinary people, but a... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4642575 Mon, 28 Mar 2011 12:08:00 +0100 4642575 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4636438&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fidentity-theft-in-a-south-african-morgue%2F2011.03.25 Amazingly enough, no matter how crazy our country gets we are a darn sight better than many of our neighbours. Many people from countries around us flee to South Africa for a better life. Only problem is for the better life you sometimes have to produce a South African identity document. These can be easily bought from corrupt government officials, but why buy one if you can borrow one? I was working in Qwaqwa. It was an amazingly poverty-stricken place with what seemed to me to be almost total joblessness. I truly don’t know how the people survived. And yet people from neighbouring Lesotho would still move there illegally. I’ve never been to Lesotho personally but if Qwaqwa was a better proposition, then I can’t even imagine how bad life in Lesotho must have been. Anyway... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4636438 Fri, 25 Mar 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4636438 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592357&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FQVX2f8LJFns%2F By David Boaz It may be Michael Kinsley who first said that the scandal in Washington is not what's illegal, it's what's legal. Maybe a corollary is that the scandal is what people don't even notice when it's exposed. The Washington Post splashed a huge story of corruption across the front page of its Sunday Business section. The pull quote in the center read A D.C. lawyer and her associates secured $500 million in federal contracts to benefit Alaska native corporations. Less than one percent made it back to Alaska. And so far this impressive story by Robert O'Harrow Jr. has generated 4 comments, 7 tweets, 11 "likes" on Facebook, and only one other blog post that I can find. Are we so jaded that a full-page investigation of self-dealing and corruption involving affirmative action, small bu... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592357 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 18:57:33 +0100 4592357 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4575026&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F03%2Ffinally-some-upcoming-events-to.html In our side-bar to the right we have a section for "Upcoming Meetings and Events."  Sadly, it is often empty.  Perhaps as a result of the anechoic effect, there seem to be few talks, workshops, much less symposia, conferences, and courses on the issues we discuss on Health Care Renewal.  However, I am happy to now note two upcoming events of interest.First, and most directly related, is the 2011 PharmedOut.org conference, entitled, "Pharma Knows Best? -Managing Medical Knowledge," on 16-17 June, 2011 at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, USA.  PharmedOut.org is dedicated to addressing how pharmaceutical companies seek to influence medical decision making.    My editorial comment is that pharmaceutical companies, and also biotechnology, device, health car... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4575026 Fri, 11 Mar 2011 16:45:00 +0100 4575026 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4450252&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F02%2Fafter-publicity-about-losses-from.html Over the last few weeks a series of stories appeared about how corruption siphons off money from worthy global health initiatives.  Corruption Depletes Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and MalariaThe story that first got attention was from AP:A $21.7 billion development fund backed by celebrities and hailed as an alternative to the bureaucracy of the United Nations sees as much as two-thirds of some grants eaten up by corruption, The Associated Press has learned.Much of the money is accounted for with forged documents or improper bookkeeping, indicating it was pocketed, investigators for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria say. Donated prescription drugs wind up being sold on the black market.The fund's newly reinforced inspector general's office, which unco... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4450252 Tue, 08 Feb 2011 21:05:00 +0100 4450252 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4433086&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F2i4m6WXAzh4%2F By Daniel J. MitchellThe Internal Revenue Code is nightmarishly complex, as illustrated by this video. Americans spend more than 7 billion hours each year in a hopeless effort to figure out how to deal with more than 7 million words of tax law and regulation. Why does this mess exist? The simple answer is that politicians benefit from the current mess, using their power over tax laws to raise campaign cash, reward friends, punish enemies, and play politics. This argument certainly has merit, and it definitely helps explain why the political class is so hostile to a simple and fair flat tax. But a big part of the problem is that tax lawyers dominate the tax-lawmaking process. Almost all the decision-making professionals at the tax-writing committees (Ways & Means Committee in the House ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4433086 Thu, 03 Feb 2011 16:30:45 +0100 4433086 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4394748&cid=t_113044_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FpXbefPvyX2U%2F As drugmakers look to do more business in more foreign markets, corruption is always an issue, yes? That’s particularly true now that the US Justice Department - along with the US Securities and Exchange Commission - is paying closer attention to interactions between the pharmaceutical industry and foreign governments. Over the past year, several big drugmakers have received letters as the federal government seeks to uncover any violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which forbids US companies from bribing foreign government officials. One aspect of the probe reportedly involves exploring whether drugmakers and clinical trial organizations pay off third-party investigators to finesse research data. A report by the HHS Office of Inspector General noted that eight percent of... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4394748 Mon, 24 Jan 2011 16:01:22 +0100 4394748 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4265680&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F9OUF4u0l76g%2F By Daniel J. MitchellThere’s a lot of attention being paid to yesterday’s landslide vote in the House to prevent a big tax increase next year. If you’re a glass-half-full optimist, you will be celebrating the good news for taxpayers. If you’re a glass-half-empty pessimist, you will be angry because the bill also contains provisions to increase the burden of government spending as well as some utterly corrupt tax loopholes added to the legislation so politicians could get campaign cash from special interest groups. If you want some unambiguously good news, however, ignore the tax deal and celebrate the fact that Senator Harry Reid had to give up his attempt to enact a pork-filled, $1 trillion-plus spending bill. This “omnibus appropriation” not only had a... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4265680 Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:09:25 +0100 4265680 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4258808&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F12%2Fhealth-professionals-for-new-century.html A major article just published in the Lancet urged global reform of health care education  [Frenk J, Chen L, Bhutta ZA, Cohen J, Crisp N, Evans T et al. Health professionals for a new century: transforming education to strengthen health systems in an interdependent world.  Lancet 2010; 376: 1923-1958.  Link here.]The problems it recognized included"Pitifully modest" spending for health professional education, compared to overall health spendingHealth care systems that are "dysfunctional and inequitable," due in part to "commercialism in the professions," leading to "breakdown ... especially noteworthy within primary care, in both poor and rich countries."For profit medical education leading to "a so-called de-Flexnerisation process ... in which low-quality professional ... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4258808 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 21:19:00 +0100 4258808 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4219700&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F12%2Famerican-medical-schools-are-only-in-it.html We recently discussed the plight of young medical faculty.  It appears that their plight is even worse than we imagined.Last month, an abstract was presented at the Annual  Conference on Research in Medical Education at the Annual Meeting of the Association of American Medical Colleges, in a session entitled "Your Career is More than Your Specialty."  The citation would be: Pololi L, Ash A, Krupat E.  Faculty Values in the Culture of Academic Medicine: Findings of a National Faculty Survey.The authors described a large survey, of over 5000 faculty at 26 US nationally representative medical schools, done as part of the National Initiative on Gender, Culture, and Leadership in Medicine (known as C ‐ Change) project.  The overall response ra... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4219700 Wed, 01 Dec 2010 16:28:00 +0100 4219700 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4190135&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FsJ3FWjNyh7c%2F By Daniel J. MitchellI haven’t commented much on earmarks, but an oped in today’s Washington Post was has goaded me into action. A former Reagan Administration appointee (the Gipper must be spinning in his grave), who now makes a living by selling our money to the highest bidder, made several ridiculous assertions, including: …earmarks are largely irrelevant to balancing the budget. The $16.5 billion Congress spent on earmarks in fiscal year 2009 sounds like a lot, but leaves a minuscule footprint – about 1 percent of 2009′s $1.4 trillion deficit. Those seriously concerned about deficits should look elsewhere for meaningful spending reductions. …On Capitol Hill, party leaders must appeal to lawmakers’ interests as well as their principles to get th... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4190135 Mon, 22 Nov 2010 13:48:36 +0100 4190135 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4097901&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fay4GkX_ipyA%2F By Tad DeHavenFlorida Times-Union reporter Matt Dixon deserves kudos for his detailed exposé of Congresswoman Corrine Brown’s (D-FL) corruption-tainted earmarking. Since 2008, Brown has sought millions for a non-profit in Jacksonville that employs a lobbying outfit that just happens to have Brown’s daughter Shantrel on its staff. Brown and her daughter have tried to secure $1.1 million for “streetscape improvements and renovations” at a plaza leased by the non-profit. Rep. Brown is currently requesting a direct appropriation of $1 million for it, but interestingly says on her website that “I certify that neither I nor my spouse has any financial interest in this project.” Okay, but what about her daughter? As the article explains, this isn’t the first time the Browns... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4097901 Fri, 22 Oct 2010 14:47:37 +0100 4097901 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4097905&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FmON0D8QzICM%2F By Daniel J. MitchellGallup just released a poll showing that 46 percent of Americans view the federal government as an immediate threat to the rights and freedoms of ordinary Americans. My first reaction was to wonder why the number was so low. After all, we have a political elite that wants to do everything from control our health care to monitor our financial transactions. But a secondary set of numbers is even more remarkable. As seen in this chart, both Republicans and Democrats tend to view the federal government as a threat mostly when the White House is controlled by the other party. This complacency is very unfortunate. Republicans presumably want to limit government control over the economy, yet it was the Bush Administration that put in place policies such as Sarbanes-Oxley, th... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4097905 Thu, 21 Oct 2010 19:31:22 +0100 4097905 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4077229&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F8oECYYB9uY0%2F By Daniel J. MitchellTim Carney of the Washington Examiner is an expert on graft and sleaze inside the Beltway, and his column this morning is a perfect example. He shows how corrupt insiders in Alaska use something known as the “Rent-an-Eskimo” scam to pull in hundreds of millions of tax dollars from no-bid federal contracts. These insiders, meanwhile, steers big bucks to Washington lobbyists (almost all of whom worked for politicians like Lisa Murkowski), who then provide campaign cash to the corrupt officials who pass the laws that enable the circle of graft to continue. Here are some key passages from Tim’s column. Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s write-in candidacy is being funded by $100,000 contributions from a handful of Alaska corporations that have been handsomely s... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4077229 Mon, 18 Oct 2010 15:48:17 +0100 4077229 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4040548&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fae6haJcwLDk%2F By Julian SanchezThe humor site Cracked rounds up some serious social science on the psychological effects of power and authority. The results are sobering—if not entirely surprising. When people in experimental environments were made to feel as though they were powerful—either by recalling actual instances for their lives or by being placed in simulated positions of power for a few hours—researchers found that they became less compassionate, less prone to take the perspective of others, more able to lie without feeling guilty about it, and more prone to consider themselves exempt from the rules and standards they righteously insist apply to others. What’s striking is how quickly and easily the experimenters elicited dramatic behavioral differences given that (unlike people who... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4040548 Thu, 07 Oct 2010 17:56:09 +0100 4040548 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3998954&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FdfSHez0bTmw%2F By Michael F. CannonThat’s the headline of an article posted this week in Politico: Rarely have so many political strategists been so wrong about something so big. But when it comes to the health care bill, everyone from former President Bill Clinton on down whiffed on some of the more significant predictions. Democrats would run aggressively on the legislation? Nope. Voters would forget about the sausage-making aspects of the legislative process? Doesn’t seem that way, as the process contributed to the sense that the bill was deeply flawed. And Clinton’s own promise to jittery Democrats that their poll numbers would skyrocket after the bill finally passed also didn’t pan out, as the party is fighting for its life in the midterms. What can explain the miscalculation? ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3998954 Fri, 24 Sep 2010 20:17:19 +0100 3998954 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3965506&cid=t_113044_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F09%2F14%2Fsituationist-corruption%2F Molly J. Walker Wilson recently posted her article, “Behavioral Decision Theory and Implications for the Supreme Court’s Campaign Finance Jurisprudence” (Cardozo Law Review, Vol. 31, p. 679, 2010) on SSRN.  Here’s the abstract. * * * America stands at a moment in history when advances in the understanding of human decision-making are increasing the strategic efficacy of political strategy. As campaign spending for the presidential race reaches hundreds of millions of dollars, the potential for harnessing the power of psychological tactics becomes considerable. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has characterized campaign money as “speech” and has required evidence of corruption or the appearance of corruption in order to uphold restrictions on campaign expenditures. Ulti... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3965506 Tue, 14 Sep 2010 04:01:47 +0100 3965506 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3929219&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FYQ9csW4yt14%2F By Malou InnocentFrom this week’s Washington Post: Afghanistan’s Central Bank has taken control of the country’s biggest and most politically potent private bank and ordered its chairman to hand over $160 million worth of luxury villas and other real estate purchased in Dubai for well-connected insiders, according to Afghan bankers and officials. Farther down the page the article continues: Kabul Bank previously had been shielded by the political clout of its shareholders who, in addition to Mahmoud Karzai [President Hamid Karzai’s brother, who partly owns Kabul Bank], include Haseen Fahim, the brother of Vice President Mohammed Fahim. If this hostile takeover wasn’t questionable enough, the article goes on to report: Kabul Bank’s biggest creditor, bank i... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3929219 Thu, 02 Sep 2010 15:03:43 +0100 3929219 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3802367&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FnSs3dwt1h2A%2F By Daniel J. MitchellThe “appearance of impropriety” is often considered the Washington standard for corruption and misbehavior. With that in mind, alarm bells began ringing in my head when I read this Washington Times report about Jacob Lew, Obama’s nominee to head the Office of Management and Budget. A snippet: President Obama’s choice to be the government’s chief budget officer received a bonus of more than $900,000 from Citigroup Inc. last year — after the Wall Street firm for which he worked received a massive taxpayer bailout. The money was paid to Jacob Lew in January 2009, about two weeks before he joined the State Department as deputy secretary of state, according to a newly filed ethics form. The payout came on top of the already hefty $1.1 mi... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3802367 Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:05:46 +0100 3802367 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3699453&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F06%2Fprofessional-integrity-for-sale-sure.html Some chiropractors also practice homeopathy. According to Frank King, D.C., many more should be doing just that:Homeopathy is an energetic form of natural medicine that corrects nerve interferences, absent nerve reflexes, and pathological nerve response patterns that the chiropractic adjustment alone does not correct. The appropriate homeopathic remedies will eliminate aberrant nerve reflexes and pathological nerve responses which cause recurrent subluxation complexes.Not only does homeopathy correct nerve interferences, it empowers the doctor of chiropractic to reach the entire nervous system. What this means is that we can now better affect the whole person, and all of the maladies that affect us. Homeopathy’s energetic approach reaches deep within the nervous system, correcting nerve ... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3699453 Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:35:00 +0100 3699453 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3641007&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FprM9rsYA3RU%2F By Daniel J. MitchellThere’s an article today in the Wall Street Journal showing how already-established companies and their union allies will use the coercive power of government to thwart competition. The article specifically discusses efforts by less competitive supermarkets to block new Wal-Mart stores. Not that Wal-Mart can complain too vociferously. After all, this is the company that endorsed a key provision of Obamacare in hopes its hurting lower-cost competitors. The moral of the story is that whenever big business and big government get in bed together, you can be sure the outcome almost always is bad for taxpayers and consumers. A grocery chain with nine stores in the area had hired Saint Consulting Group to secretly run the antidevelopment campaign. Saint is a specialis... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3641007 Mon, 07 Jun 2010 16:48:50 +0100 3641007 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3618051&cid=t_113044_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2010%2F05%2F31%2Fgovernment-and-big-oil-your-winnings-sir%2F New cartoon by Trussell & Trussell on Politics Daily. Government and Big Oil: Your Winnings, Sir. Filed under: Politics Daily Tagged: bp, chaos theory, corruption, government, lobbyist, minerals management service, oil spill, political cartoon (Source: Donna Trussell) Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3618051 Tue, 01 Jun 2010 04:16:55 +0100 3618051 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3603829&cid=t_113044_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2010%2F05%2F27%2Fbanks-cdos-and-prison-futures%2F New cartoon by Trussell & Trussell on Politics Daily. Banks, CDOs and Prison Futures. Filed under: Politics Daily Tagged: banks, chaos theory, corruption, enron, humor, political cartoon, wall street (Source: Donna Trussell) Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3603829 Thu, 27 May 2010 15:02:19 +0100 3603829 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3566605&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FtgF25aU2Mcw%2F By David BoazPaul Krugman has a post today titled “Why Libertarianism Doesn’t Work, Part N.” Maybe parts A-M were compelling, but it seems like there’s a big flaw in his logic today. Here’s the entire item: Thinking about BP and the Gulf: in this old interview, Milton Friedman says that there’s no need for product safety regulation, because corporations know that if they do harm they’ll be sued. Interviewer: So tort law takes care of a lot of this .. Friedman: Absolutely, absolutely. Meanwhile, in the real world: In the wake of last month’s catastrophic Gulf Coast oil spill, Sen. Lisa Murkowski blocked a bill that would have raised the maximum liability for oil companies after a spill from a paltry $75 million to $10 billion. The Republican lawmaker said the... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3566605 Fri, 14 May 2010 19:59:01 +0100 3566605 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3482949&cid=t_113044_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F04%2F19%2Fde-capturing-the-fda%2F Harvard Law Student, Jason Iuliano, recently posted his forthcoming article, “Killing Us Sweetly: How to Take Industry Out of the FDA” (forthcoming Journal of Food Law and Policy) on SSRN.  Here’s the abstract. * * * For more than a century, the Food and Drug Administration has purported to protect the public health. During that time, it has actually been placing corporate profits above consumer safety. Nowhere is this corruption more evident than in the approval of artificial sweeteners. FDA leaders’ close ties to the very industry they were supposed to be regulating present a startling picture. Ignoring warnings from both independent scientists and their own review panels, FDA decision makers let greed guide their actions. They approved carcinogenic sweeteners such ... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3482949 Mon, 19 Apr 2010 04:01:50 +0100 3482949 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3460149&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fln1QarG0zcY%2F By Daniel J. MitchellMy former intern, Hiwa Alaghebandian, has just narrated a new Economics 101 video about the cost of the tax code. I won’t spoil the surprise by giving the details, but you if you’re not angry now, you will be after watching. In the video, Ms. Alaghebandian notes that a study from 1996 (back when the tax code was not nearly as complex) estimated that a flat tax would reduce the compliance burden of the income tax by 94 percent. In my video on the flat tax, I mostly focused on how a single-rate, consumption-base system would boost growth and competitiveness, but simplicity also would be a remarkable achievement. Not only would real tax reform reduce compliance costs by hundreds of billions of dollars, it would also put a big dent in the corrupt practice ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3460149 Mon, 12 Apr 2010 14:16:47 +0100 3460149 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3443716&cid=t_113044_93_f&fid=35707&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHemodynamics%2F%7E3%2F0tJmZVe_Tyo%2Fminers-die-again.html The newspaper from Harlan, KY sends a reporter to the Montcoal mine disaster.And though statistically, mining has become safer overall in recent years, that's in the context of technology that could make mining disasters entirely a thing of the past. Why isn't it a thing of the past? Here's a glimpse from In These Times, which makes me feel likethe more things change, the more they stay the same. Stay the sameStay the sameStay the same, the sameStay the sameStay the same. (Source: hemodynamics) hemodynamics blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3443716 Wed, 07 Apr 2010 13:28:00 +0100 3443716 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3416009&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FZ8HOQ9U1GcU%2F By Gabriela Calderon de BurgosEcuadorian President Rafael Correa has long labeled the free press as his “main enemy.” His attitude has unfortunately resulted in official intolerance of individuals critical of the government. The latest example is that of Emilio Palacio, the editor of the op-ed page of El Universo — the newspaper with the highest circulation in the country — who was sentenced on Friday to three years in jail for an op-ed he wrote in August 2009. Palacio accused Camilo Samán, director of a state-owned bank, of having sent protesters to El Universo’s offices after the newspaper reported on possible acts of corruption at the bank. The President has repeatedly stated that Palacio should be punished for what he wrote. In a country where everybody knows that th... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3416009 Mon, 29 Mar 2010 14:39:10 +0100 3416009 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3416010&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FFHf2p46l2Iw%2F By Daniel J. MitchellAmerica’s biggest fiscal challenge is excessive government spending. The public sector is far too large today and it is projected to get much bigger in coming decades. But the corrupt and punitive internal revenue code is second on the list of fiscal problems. This new video, narrated by yours truly, explains how a flat tax would work and why it would promote growth and fairness. Something to keep in mind with tax day in just a couple of weeks. There are two big hurdles that must be overcome to achieve tax reform. The first obstacle is that the class-warfare crowd wants the tax code to penalize success with high tax rates. That issue is addressed in the video in a couple of ways. I explain that fairness should be defined as treating all people equally, and I als... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3416010 Mon, 29 Mar 2010 13:58:39 +0100 3416010 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3378448&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FMNi1Fk2h2x8%2F By John SamplesThe leaders of the House of Representatives plan to address health care through a “deem and pass” strategy.  Professor Michael McConnell believes this strategy violates the Constitution.  But put that aside for now. Ms. Pelosi has chosen “deem and pass” because, as she said, “people don’t have to vote on the Senate bill.” The “people” in question are House Democrats whose votes are essential to passing the bill.  These members fear voters would penalize them for voting for the Senate bill. As the Washington Post put it, “deem and pass” would “enable House Democrats not to be on record directly as supporting the Senate measure.”  A House Democrat running in a tough election will be able to deny ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3378448 Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:29:19 +0100 3378448 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3370397&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F2lwOsgicfxo%2F By Ian VasquezThe apparent drug gang killings of U.S. consular employees this weekend in Juarez, Mexico are a bloody reminder that President Obama is getting the United States involved in yet another war it cannot win. Drug gang killings also occurred in Acapulco, with a total of 50 such fatalities nationwide over the weekend. Unfortunately, Obama has responded to the latest incident by following the same failed strategy as his predecessors when confronted with drug war losses: a stronger fight against drugs. Though the deaths are the first in which Mexican drug cartels appear to have so brazenly targeted and killed individuals linked to the U.S. government, illicit drug trade violence has killed some 18,000 people in Mexico since President Calderon came to power in December 2006—more th... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3370397 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:53:18 +0100 3370397 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3354296&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F9s0qwBwtJHE%2F By Michael F. CannonFrom my op-ed in The Daily Caller: ObamaCare would dramatically expand government control over health care. Each new power ObamaCare creates would be targeted by special interests looking for special favors, and held for ransom by politicians seeking a slice of the pie. ObamaCare would guarantee that crucial decisions affecting your medical care would be made by the same people, through the same process that created the Cornhusker Kickback, for as far as the eye can see. When ObamaCare supporters, like Kaiser Family Foundation president Drew Altman, claim that “voters are rejecting the process more than the substance” of the legislation, they’re missing the point. When government grows, corruption grows.  When voters reject these corrupt side deals, they are reje... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3354296 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:51:37 +0100 3354296 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3331255&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F03%2Ffda-criminal-division-to-increase.html In many posts on this blog, Roy Poses has lamented the fact that there are no personal repercussions for healthcare executives embroiled in malfeasance and scandals.He recently wrote:So, here we go again ... To repeat, seemingly ad infinitum, these are just the latest in a now long parade of settlements and guilty pleas and criminal convictions, sometimes involving charges like bribery, fraud, or kickbacks, that serve as reminders of poor behavior by myriad health care organizations. As we have previously noted, these settlements seem to have little deterrent effect on future bad behavior. (Note that many large health care organizations have settled or plead guilty in several major cases since we started commenting on such settlements.) Usually, the companies involved only need to pay fin... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3331255 Thu, 04 Mar 2010 18:27:00 +0100 3331255 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3306802&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=34595&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnhsblogdoc.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fmid-staffordshire-who-was-in-charge-and.html David Nicholson was Regional Director for the old Eastern and West Midlands Regions between December 2001 and March 2002, combining these responsibilities with his Trent role whilst shadowing as Director of Health and Social Care (designate) for the Midlands and East of England. In April 2002 he formally took up the post of Director of Health and Social Care for the Midlands and East of England.One has to hope that the mid-Staffordshire debacle was the worst example of poor care, but do not for one moment think that similar things, if perhaps not as bad, are not going on in an NHS hospital near you. They are. Not a week goes by without family doctors being told of similarly distressing incidents. How can it go on like this? Target culture is to some extent to blame, but the main problem is... NHS Blog Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3306802 Thu, 25 Feb 2010 15:26:00 +0100 3306802 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3283535&cid=t_113044_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D2764 I had never intended to write about climate. It is too far from the things I know about. But recent events have unleashed a Palin-esque torrent of comments from people who clearly know even less about it than I do. In any case, it provides a good context to think about trust in science, Earthrise from moon. (click to enlarge) My interest in it, apart from little matters like the future of the planet, lies in the reputation of science and scientists. I have been going on for years now about the lack of trust in science, and the extent to which it is a self-inflicted problem. The latest reactions to the developments at the University of East Anglia and the IPCC may show the nature of the problem with dreadful clarity, Many of us came into science because, apart from the sheer be... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3283535 Thu, 18 Feb 2010 14:09:04 +0100 3283535 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3271167&cid=t_113044_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2010%2F02%2F14%2Faigs-bonus-of-contention%2F New cartoon by Trussell & Trussell on AOL’s Politics Daily. AIG’s Bonus of Contention. Filed under: Politics Daily Tagged: aig, bonus, chaos theory, corruption, political cartoon, wall street (Source: Donna Trussell) Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3271167 Sun, 14 Feb 2010 07:01:13 +0100 3271167 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3259193&cid=t_113044_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2010%2F02%2F09%2Fhey-banks-lets-put-on-a-show%2F New cartoon by Trussell & Trussell on AOL’s Politics Daily. Hey Banks, Let’s Put On a Show! Filed under: Politics Daily Tagged: bank, chaos theory, corruption, political cartoon, wall street (Source: Donna Trussell) Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3259193 Wed, 10 Feb 2010 05:16:31 +0100 3259193 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3246942&cid=t_113044_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F02%2F06%2Fthe-situation-of-corruption%2F We thought our readers be interested in an article by Eduardo Salcedo-Albarán, Isaac De León-Beltrán, and Mauricio Rubio’s, titled “Feelings, Brain and Prevention of Corruption“  (3 International Journal of Psychology Research 2008) now available on SSRN. * * * In this paper we propose an answer for the question: why, sometimes, people don’t perceive corruption as a crime? To answer this question we use a neurological and a psychological concept. As humans, we experience our emotions and feelings in first person, but the neuropsychological mechanism known as “mirror neurons” makes possible to simulate emotions and feelings of others. It means that our emotions and feelings are linked with emotions and feelings of others. When mirror areas in the brain are activ... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3246942 Sat, 06 Feb 2010 04:56:44 +0100 3246942 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3145957&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FZwijLskzamc%2F By Chris EdwardsToday, Cato released a report on employee compensation in state and local governments. As states struggle to balance their budgets in coming months, they should look to find savings in employee compensation, which represents half of all state and local spending. The particular issue of excessive state pensions is being probed by newspapers across the nation. Over at Reason, Nick Gillespie discusses the problem in his home state of Ohio. That state’s newspapers teamed up to pen a series of articles on government pensions, which are representative of the growing pension problems in many states. There has been a parallel series of articles across the nation on “pay-to-play” state pension scandals. These scandals involve Wall Street firms bribing pub... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3145957 Tue, 05 Jan 2010 19:15:39 +0100 3145957 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3145958&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FZD-eVeJSTKk%2F By Daniel J. MitchellThe late George Stigler, winner of the Nobel Prize in economics, is famous in part because of his work on “regulatory capture,” which occurs when interest groups use the coercive power of government to thwart competition and undeservedly line their own pockets. A perfect (and distasteful) example of this can be found in today’s Washington Post, which reports that the IRS plans to impose new regulations dictating who can prepare tax returns. Not surprisingly, the new rules have the support of big tax preparation shops such as H&R Block and Jackson Hewitt, which see this as an opportunity to squeeze smaller competitors out of the market. The IRS and the big firms claim more regulations are needed to protect consumers from shoddy work, but this is th... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3145958 Tue, 05 Jan 2010 17:56:46 +0100 3145958 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3139027&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F5cnr37D9Ntk%2F By Daniel J. MitchellWhile American politicians are experts when it comes to squandering money, they may not be the world’s most profligate group of lawmakers. To be sure, American politicians sometimes give big piles of other people’s money to bail out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but the politicians at the European Commission in Brussels engage in similar forms of corporate welfare with their Emissions Trading Scheme. The overall burden of government is heavier in Europe, so that certainly suggests that there are greater opportunities to waste money, but what makes the European Commission special is that it is insulated from democratic accountability and there is no system of checks and balances. So even though the actual amount of money spent by Brussels is small compared to ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3139027 Mon, 04 Jan 2010 16:15:22 +0100 3139027 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3126767&cid=t_113044_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2009%2F12%2F28%2Fpower-up-your-pitch-with-lobbyhelpr%2F New cartoon by Trussell & Trussell on AOL’s Politics Daily. Power-Up Your Pitch with LobbyHelpr. Posted in Politics Daily Tagged: capitol hill, chaos theory, corruption, health care reform, insurance, lobbying, lobbyist, political cartoon (Source: Donna Trussell) Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3126767 Mon, 28 Dec 2009 16:57:07 +0100 3126767 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3123368&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fi9z0IVvlkFA%2F By Daniel J. MitchellEven though politicians already have flushed $400 billion down the rathole, the Obama Administration has announced that it will now give unlimited amounts of our money to prop up Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two government-created mortgage companies. While President Obama should be castigated for this decision, let’s not forget that this latest boondoggle is only possible because President Bush did not do the right thing and liquidate Fannie and Freddie when they collapsed last year. And, to add insult to injury, Obama’s pay czar played Santa Claus and announced that that a dozen top “executives” could divvy up $42 million of bonuses financed by you and me. Not a bad deal for a group of people that more properly should be classified as govern... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3123368 Sat, 26 Dec 2009 16:27:16 +0100 3123368 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3118840&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F12%2Fhow-to-give-course-on-corruption-in.html Just out from the U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Center is a brief paper on "Approaches to teaching and learning about corruption in the health sector."  (Note that U4 has a very useful web-page on corruption health care, also now appearing in the links in our side-bar.)The paper begins by describing the overall goals of such a course:The overall goals for training in anti‑corruption in health are to help people develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes they will need to identify and understand problems of corruption in health, design anti‑corruption strategies, strengthen health systems for good governance,transparency, and accountability, and advocate for integrity in governance. An additional goal is to prepare people to respond to individual experiences they may have with corr... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3118840 Wed, 23 Dec 2009 22:12:00 +0100 3118840 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3115062&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F2gqAm8mv3Lc%2F By Daniel J. MitchellSince Senators engaged in open extortion and bribery to enact Reid’s government-run health care plan, it is hardly newsworthy that Washington is riddled with corruption. But the magnitude of sleaze is probably far greater than most people realize. There is a new study from a couple of academics at the University of Michigan, who found significant relationships between lobbying and bailout money, as well as a greater chance of getting bailouts depending on a bank’s ties with either the Federal Reserve or key members of Congress. Hopefully, people across America will draw the obvious conclusion and realize that big government is inherently corrupting, as discussed in this video. Reuters has the details on this latest example of big government and malfeasance:... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3115062 Tue, 22 Dec 2009 19:53:25 +0100 3115062 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3104996&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FSSVKuxXsqbI%2F By Roger PilonPolitico asks, “Was he convincing?” My response: In Copenhagen this morning, President Obama convinced only those who want to believe — of which, regrettably, there is no shortage.  Notice how he began, utterly without doubt:  “You would not be here unless you, like me, were convinced that this danger is real.  This is not fiction, this is science.”  The implicit certitude is no part of real science, of course.  But then the president, like the environmental zealots cheering him in Copenhagen, are not really interested in real science.  Theirs, ultimately, is a political agenda.  How else to explain the corruption of science that the East Anglia Climate Research email scandal has brought to light, and the efforts, presently, to dismiss the s... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3104996 Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:49:18 +0100 3104996 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3033591&cid=t_113044_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D2467 We have listed many reasons hear why you should never trust Boots.  Here are the previous ones. Can you trust Boots? Don’t Trust Boots Boots reaches new level of dishonesty with CoQ10 promotion This post is about a "functional food".  That is about something a bit more serious than homeopathy, though I’ll return to that standing joke in the follow-up, because of Boots’ latest shocking admission.. Alternative medicine advocates love to blame Big Pharma for every criticism of magic medicine.  In contrast, people like me, Ben Goldacre and a host of others have often pointed out that the differences seem to get ever smaller between the huge Alternative industry (about $60 billion per year), and the even huger regular pharmaceutical industry (around $6... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3033591 Thu, 26 Nov 2009 21:41:39 +0100 3033591 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2999509&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FC5rpiwLoIPw%2F Report: New threats to free speech. The politics behind the health care overhaul. Mass corruption in Afghanistan. Malou Innocent: “Washington has already surged into Afghanistan once this year. The United States should not spend more American blood and more of its ever-diminishing financial resources to prop up Karzai’s ineffectual regime.” A government takeover of health care is not pro-choice — for anyone: “Whatever your views on abortion, the fight over abortion in the Obama health plan illustrates perfectly why government should stay out of health care. When the government subsidizes health care, anything you do with that money becomes the voters’ business. And rather than allow for choice between different ways of doing things, the government ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2999509 Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:17:20 +0100 2999509 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2943733&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2009%2F10%2Fsaving-health-care-saving-america.html By BRIAN KLEPPER, DAVID C. KIBBE, ROBERT LASZEWSKI and ALAIN ENTHOVEN So far, Congress' response to the health care crisis has been alarmingly disappointing in three ways. First, by willingly accepting enormous sums from health care special interests, our representatives... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2943733 Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100 2943733 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2934654&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FvBIYaaFKxhQ%2F A new poll in Venezuela shows that President Hugo Chávez’s approval ratings have fallen from about 60 percent early this year to 46 percent now. Likewise his disapproval ratings have increased from about 30 percent earlier in the year to 46 percent now, and 59 percent of those polled view the country’s situation negatively. Despite having received upwards of $800 billion in revenues during Chávez’s ten years in power, the government is doing a dismal job of carrying out its proper functions—such as controlling crime or corruption—and public administration in other areas is deteriorating. Chávez recently announced regular cuts in electricity and water provision. (These issues will be discussed in an upcoming Cato forum on Venezuela on November 10.) As domestic conditions deteri... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2934654 Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:06:06 +0100 2934654 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2890897&cid=t_113044_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2009%2F10%2F13%2Fchaos-theory-the-house-and-senate-always-wins%2F New cartoon by Trussell & Trussell on AOL’s Politics Daily: The House – and Senate – Always Wins. Posted in Politcal Cartoons, Politics Tagged: congress, corruption, economy, house, senate (Source: Donna Trussell) Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2890897 Tue, 13 Oct 2009 18:46:28 +0100 2890897 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2858618&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FsRlDB2iw6f0%2F In a profile of Virginia Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Creigh Deeds, the Washington Post tells us about the grandfather from whom he got his unusual first name — and his interest in political power: Creigh Tyree mattered. While serving as chairman of the Bath County Democrats, during the Depression, Tyree’s house was the first private home in the county to receive electricity from the federal Rural Electrification Act, proof of the power of government, he told his grandson. Or at least proof of the practice of government. And that is in fact the lesson that young Creigh learned: Watching the elderly man work the circuit of county shops and farms, the boy saw the power of political maneuvering, the influence it brought a man, the way it enabled the well-connected to pick up a... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2858618 Sun, 04 Oct 2009 17:57:13 +0100 2858618 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2823964&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FGP_FEocr8sE%2F “My critics say that I’m taking over every sector of the economy,” President Obama sighed to George Stephanopoulos during his Sunday media blitz. Not every sector. Just health care energy local schools banks insurance companies automobile companies compensation at financial firms newspapers the internet This president and his Ivy League advisers believe that they know how an economy should develop better than hundreds of millions of market participants spending their own money every day. That is what F. A. Hayek called the “fatal conceit,” the idea that smart people can design a real economy on the basis of their abstract ideas. This is not quite socialism. In most of these cases, President Obama doesn’t propose to actually nationalize the means of product... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2823964 Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:10:35 +0100 2823964 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2814397&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FdOUTrF4ueVU%2F Pakistan long has tottered on the edge of being a failed state:  created amidst a bloody partition from India, suffered under ineffective democratic rule and disastrous military rule, destabilized through military suppression of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) by dominant West Pakistan, dismembered in a losing war with India, misgoverned by a corrupt and wastrel government, linked to the most extremist Afghan factions during the Soviet occupation, allied with the later Taliban regime, and now destabilized by the war in Afghanistan.  Along the way the regime built nuclear weapons, turned a blind eye to A.Q. Khan’s proliferation market, suppressed democracy, tolerated religious persecution, elected Asif Ali “Mr. Ten Percent” Zardari as president, and wasted billion... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2814397 Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:45:20 +0100 2814397 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2778414&cid=t_113044_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D2165 Being interested in science communication, I was pleased when the BMJ asked me to review Unscientific America , by Chris Monney and Sheril Kirshenbaum. The BMJ provides a link that allows you access to the whole review. They have made very few changes from the submitted version, which is reproduced below (with live links in the text. I very soon discovered that the book had already caused ructions in the USA, as a result of its advocacy of appeasement of religious groups. In particular there was all out war with P.Z.Myers, whose very popular blog, Phayngula. documented the battle in detail). It is an American book through and through, and in the USA the biggest threat to reason comes from the far-right religious fundamentalists who preach young-earth creationism. It is said that 46% of U... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2778414 Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:08:19 +0100 2778414 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2778371&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F09%2Fsolution-to-pharmas-repeated-drug.html Some straightforward common sense follows. No spin, no indirection, no excuses:Pfizer has recently paid a $2.3 billion dollar settlement on civil and criminal charges that potent drugs were being improperly promoted (i.e., pushed onto unsuspecting physicians and patients) for uses not approved by the regulatory agencies responsible for such matters.What is the real world meaning of these charges?The meaning is that patients - the final consumers - were ingesting drugs that were not only not indicated, but held possibilities of harming the drug taker.We have seen negative outcomes from these practices before in the form of, for example, children in whom improperly pushed antidepressants caused suicidal thoughts and actual suicide (the teenage daughter of a friend of my mother hanged herself... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2778371 Tue, 08 Sep 2009 19:58:00 +0100 2778371 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2757695&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F09%2Ffighting-corruption-in-health-care.html The August issue of the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health featured a number of articles on conflicts of interest (COI) and medical and public health education and research. One notable contribution included authors from the German chapter of Transparency International (Spelsberg A, Martiny A, Schoenhoefer PS. Is disclosure of potential conflicts of interest in medicine and public health sufficient to increase transparency and decrease corruption. J Epidemiol Community Health 2009; 63: 603-605. Link here, requires subscription.) Transparency International is a major international NGO respected for its stand against corruption, and for transparency and integrity.The article's major premises deserve quotation:When Transparency International was founded in 1993, the focus for fighti... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2757695 Tue, 01 Sep 2009 14:49:00 +0100 2757695 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2674255&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F08%2Fwyeths-industrial-scale-ghost-writing.html MedInformaticsMD noted the impending release of documents about how Wyeth engineered ghost-writing of articles about hormone replacement therapy (HRT) here. Now the NY Times has had a chance to review the documents, with fascinating results.The scope of the ghost-writing campaign was on an impressively industrial scale: 26 articles published over 7 years in 18 medical journals.The details were ably covered by at least three other blogs. Dr Adriane Fugh-Berman, guest- (not ghost-) blogging on PharmaGossip discussed how the documents reached the public domain. Dr Daniel Carlat on the Carlat Psychiatry Blog, Prof Margaret Soltan on the University Diaries offered some choice comments -By Dr CarlatAs with baseball players on steroids, when companies pour marketing money into ghostwriting campai... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2674255 Wed, 05 Aug 2009 18:40:00 +0100 2674255 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2648997&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2009%2F07%2Fillinois-ag-shady-aids-charitys-web-campaign-broke-state-law.html By CHRISTOPHER WEAVER Four months after we first reported on a sketchy AIDS "charity" with a nationwide fundraising campaign, authorities have begun to crack down. But the move might not have much impact if other officials don't follow suit. The... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2648997 Mon, 27 Jul 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2648997 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2630047&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FIBK96jTDjOc%2F The First Amendment guarantees our freedom to petition the government, which is one of the reasons why the statists who wants to restrict or even ban lobbying hopefully will not succeed. But that does not mean all lobbying is created equal. If a bunch of small business owners get together to lobby against higher taxes, that is a noble endeavor. If the same group of people get together and lobby for special handouts, by contrast, they are being despicable. And if they get a bailout from the government and use that money to mooch for more handouts, they deserve a reserved seat in a very hot place. This is not just a hypothetical exercise. The Hill reports on the combined $20 million lobbying budget of some of the companies that stuck their snouts in the public trough: Auto companies and eigh... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2630047 Wed, 22 Jul 2009 21:37:15 +0100 2630047 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2464119&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F06%2Fyale-van-gogh-and-personal-property.html At Healthcare Renewal and at numerous other healthcare blogs, we write about academic and industry conflicts of interest, malfeasance, and other topics in the hopes that there are leaders within organizations who might correct the wrongs that result from such conflicts and behaviors. (That is, when it is not those same leaders behind the scandals in question.)Our efforts are based on the assumption (perhaps, more correctly, a hope) that the problems within organizations are not organic and ideological, and that they are in some fashion amenable to correction internally and externally via exposure to sunlight.What if we're wrong?A story caught my eye about my Medical Informatics alma mater. A Frenchman, Pierre Konowaloff, is suing Yale for return of a famous Van Gogh painting that was con... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2464119 Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:28:00 +0100 2464119 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2442753&cid=t_113044_150_f&fid=36939&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscientific-misconduct.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F05%2Fis-medicine-in-same-boat-as-catholic.html This post has nothing directly to do with scientific fraud, science or medicine. It is about recent reports of corruption and terrible evils that have taken place within the confines of the leadership of the Catholic Church. A few days ago a long-delayed investigation into Ireland’s Roman Catholic-run institutions was released. It chronicled how priests and nuns molested, abused and tortured thousands of boys and girls for decades. More importantly it documented how those in authority, government officials, and government inspectors failed to stop the beatings, rapes and abuse. The report concludes that church officials shielded their orders' pedophiles from arrest, amid a culture of self-serving secrecy. They turned a blind eye. In the United Kingdom, we have medical "regulatory" bodies... Scientific Misconduct Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2442753 Sat, 23 May 2009 19:21:00 +0100 2442753 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2414745&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fg4eIeyjb6zE%2F In the last week there’ve been deeply worrying developments in Guatemala. Rodrigo Rosenberg, a highly respected Guatemalan lawyer, was killed Sunday outside of his house by unknown gunmen. On Monday, a posthumous video recorded by Rosenberg was released where he blames the country’s president, Alvaro Colom, for his assassination. Constantino Díaz-Durán, former editor of elcato.org, tells the story in a piece appearing in the Daily Beast. Since Monday, thousands of Guatemalans have flocked to the streets demanding Colom’s resignation, but they have been met by an equal number of government supporters who are resorting to violence and intimidation against the protesters. This is the modus operandi of the hard-left in countries such as Venezuela, Bolivia, Argentina, and Ecuador. But ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2414745 Fri, 15 May 2009 19:20:37 +0100 2414745 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2398599&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F2vaYXbmgKcE%2F We want to talk to the Afghans about corruption.  They want to talk to us about killing civilians. Reports the London Times: Up to 100 civilians, including women and children, are reported to have been killed in Afghanistan in potentially the single deadliest US airstrike since 2001. The news overshadowed a crucial first summit between the Afghan President and Barack Obama in Washington yesterday. President Obama, after White House meetings with President Karzai of Afghanistan and Asif Ali Zardari, the Pakistani President, pledged “every effort to avoid civilian casualties” in the war against the extremists. His comments followed the expression of deep regret by Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, during an earlier appearance with Mr Karzai in Washington. News of the airstrike... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2398599 Thu, 07 May 2009 12:36:26 +0100 2398599 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2375953&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2Fobama-seduces-science-sector-with.html President Obama must believe in the fabled money tree with all the currency we don't have that he is borrowing and spending. Now, he has told the National Academy of Sciences that he wants 3% of the United States GDP (gross domestic product) to be poured into science. From the story:President Barack Obama on Monday promised a major investment in research and development for scientific innovation, saying the United States has fallen behind others.I am really tired of that particular whine. Who precisely, have we fallen behind? In what sectors? I am used to this caterwaul from "the scientists" who will never be satisfied until they have two blank checks; one for ethics and the other for funding (and not just here, the same cry is heard from this sector all over the world.) When it comes from... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2375953 Mon, 27 Apr 2009 14:33:00 +0100 2375953 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2367428&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2Fpower-grab-shoving-health-care-reform.html President Obama and the Democrats in Congress intend to completely change the health care system of the United States without permitting any meaningful democratic debate. Rather than hold extensive hearings, allow a full airing of one of the most extensive and expensive changes in law in recent times, and risk having to compromise or lose, our overlords have decided they are going to shove what they want down our throats via a budget reconciliation bill. From the story: Principals in the talks acknowledged that a tentative budget agreement reached Thursday night between Congressional leaders and the White House would provide for the use of an obscure procedure known as a reconciliation on a health care bill, allowing health care legislation that meets budget targets to be approved by a sim... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2367428 Fri, 24 Apr 2009 22:36:00 +0100 2367428 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2353756&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fgo1_ifiSdus%2F Washington is riddled with both legal and illegal corruption, but why? Perhaps it is because government is too big and has too much power. The federal budget redistributes $3.5 trillion through more than 1,800 subsidy programs. The regulatory burden is $1.2 trillion and there have been 51,000 new regulations since 1995. And there are more than 70,000 pages of tax law and regulations. These are the reasons why Washington is a hornet’s nest of deal-making, influence-peddling, and back-scratching. In this new video, produced by the Center for Freedom and Prosperity, I argue that reducing the size and scope of government is the only effective way to control Washington sleaze. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2353756 Tue, 21 Apr 2009 13:44:48 +0100 2353756 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2347930&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F04%2Fnew-jersey-legislator-found-guilty-of.html Here is the latest story of health care corruption, this one involving a state legislator and a big hospital, as reported by the Newark Star-Ledger,Former state senator Joseph Coniglio, who funneled more than $1 million in public funding to Hackensack University Medical Center after it gave him a high-paying consulting job, was convicted yesterday on six counts of fraud and extortion.The jury of seven men and five women, who issued a split decision and were deadlocked on one of the nine counts, found Coniglio guilty on nearly all the charges involving the exchange of money.The verdict, coming after four days of deliberations, found Coniglio guilty on five counts of defrauding the public and one count of extortion. He was acquitted on two mail fraud counts; the jury said it was unable to re... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2347930 Mon, 20 Apr 2009 20:14:00 +0100 2347930 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2347794&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FEKRMjs4G5FQ%2F Tax Day: The Nightmare from Which There’s No Waking Up Cato scholars were busy exposing the burden of the American tax system on Wednesday, the deadline to file 2008 tax returns. At CNSNews.com, tax analyst Chris Edwards argued that policymakers should give Americans the simple and low-rate tax code they deserve: The outlook for American taxpayers is pretty grim. The federal tax code is getting more complex, the president is proposing tax hikes on high-earners, businesses, and energy consumers; and huge deficits may create pressure for further increases down the road… The solution to all these problems is to rip out the income tax and replace it with a low-rate flat tax, as two dozen other nations have done. At Townhall, Dan Mitchell excoriated the complexity of the current tax... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2347794 Fri, 17 Apr 2009 17:49:19 +0100 2347794 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2306876&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D6634 Perhaps it’s high time that our local watchdogs scrutinise the bills of our politicians when they make claims on their travel expenses. You might have read of the Richard Timney affair in UK where the husband of the Home Secretary made a claim for a TV bill that included two adult films. I guess our politicians are above board, I am sure “adult films” would not be claimed as hotel expenses. They certainly won’t misuse public funds this way. But if anyone is caught, you know, someone is saying What porn is really for After years of watching late-night porn in anonymous hotel rooms - for research purposes - its purpose is clear, says Clive James. To keep one’s mind off sex while one’s partner is absent. Yup. You got it. The purpose is to stay faithful and ... Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2306876 Sun, 05 Apr 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2306876 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2306875&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D6639 In the run up to the “Buy Elections” I came across something our neighbours in the north are resorting to. Apparently some politicians there are dishing out the little blue pill to elderly male voters as a dastardly way to garner more votes. These misguided idiots think that it will help their flagging election chances when really, they are meant for flagging erections. from the Malaysian Medical Resources Pssst, BN. The little blue pill may help too. (Source: Malaysian Medical Resources) Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2306875 Sun, 05 Apr 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2306875 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2284440&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F03%2Fhubris-and-endarkenment-in-science.html As someone once accused by bioethicist Alta Charo of promoting an "Endarkenment" because of my views on ESCR--at least she did it to my face--I have to say that a recent Science editorial extolling President Obama's stem cell speech, demonstrates the very unenlightened approach it accuses former President Bush of pursuing. Oozing the hubris we have come to expect from the politicized science sector, and referencing Bush's late ESCR funding policy, the editorial (no link) states:The authors of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States were children of the Enlightenment. They understood the power that flows from combining human reason with empirical knowledge, and they assumed that the political system they were creating would thrive only in a culture that uph... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2284440 Fri, 20 Mar 2009 16:23:00 +0100 2284440 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2285063&cid=t_113044_97_f&fid=35606&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theangriestpharmacist.com%2F2009%2F03%2F20%2Fdrug-companies-corrupt-no%2F By NO, I mean yes… DRUG COMPANY CORRUPT We all know my thoughts on this, and recently Zyprexa paid out some BIG BUCKS because they pushed off label uses. It is now mega illegal for a drug rep to even utter the words off-label to a physician. Thanks to WILL for sending this to me… -=+=- BONUS: A lady bitch pissed me off today for standing at the register after I told her 15 minutes. After about 2 minutes of standing at the register I said, “Ma’am, it’s gonna be a while. If you wanna have a seat, I’ll hollar at you when we’re done.” Her response? “I don’t have time for that. If I walk away from this counter you all will just lolligag around, and it will never get done. I have to keep my eye on you.” In her honor, we now have t... The Angriest Pharmacist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2285063 Fri, 20 Mar 2009 05:03:35 +0100 2285063 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2211547&cid=t_113044_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F02%2F25%2Flarry-lessigs-situationism%2F Samuel Jacobs, a senior at Harvard College and associate managing editor of The Harvard Crimson, recently interviewed Larry Lessig for the Ideas section of The Boston Globe.  The conversation illustrated Lessig’s situationist perspective of corruption.  Here are some excerpts. * * * ROD BLAGOJEVICH ACCUSED of trying to sell a Senate seat. Dianne Wilkerson stuffing cash into her shirt. A Harvard doctor taking huge consulting fees from drug companies. This past year ended with a collection of new examples of a very old problem: corruption. Lawrence Lessig, the Stanford intellectual-property scholar recently hired away by Harvard Law School, believes he may have some solutions. Lessig, who has built a reputation as a leading advocate for free culture and loosening copyright laws, surp... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2211547 Wed, 25 Feb 2009 04:01:30 +0100 2211547 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2414828&cid=t_113044_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1191 BSc courses in homeopathy are closing. Is it a victory for campaigners, or just the end of the Blair/Bush era? The Guardian carries a nice article by Anthea Lipsett, The Opposite of Science (or download pdf of print version). Dr Peter Davies, dean of Westminster’s school of integrated health, says “he welcomes the debate but it isn’t as open as he would like.” Well you can say that again. The University of Westminster has refused to send me anything much, and has used flimsy excuses to avoid complying with the Freedom of Information Act. Nevertheless a great deal has leaked out. Not just amethysts emit hig Yin energy, but a whole lot more (watch this space). Given what is already in the public, arena, how can they possibly say things like this? “Those t... DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2414828 Tue, 24 Feb 2009 09:27:51 +0100 2414828 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2177479&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F02%2Fhistoric-college-of-pharmacy-to-honor.html I want to call HCR readers' attention to a recent, disturbing post on Science-Based Medicine by one of my fellow bloggers, David Kroll: I am a graduate of the institution known formerly as the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science (PCP&S) - the first college of pharmacy in North America, established in 1821. The college, now called University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, counts among its alumni John Wyeth, Silas M. Burroughs, Sir Henry Wellcome, several members of the Eli Lilly and McNeil families, and other historical figures in pharmacy among founders of what have now become large pharmaceutical companies.Although I was among the 35% of students in the “and Science” side of PCP&S, earning a BS in Toxicology, I was there at a time before Big Pharma had acquired much... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2177479 Tue, 10 Feb 2009 19:31:00 +0100 2177479 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2172739&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F02%2Fcorruption-in-legislating-sneaking.html This is why people are so jaded and cynical about their own government. The economic stimulus bill that we are told is too important to really debate and must be passed NOW! NOW! NOW! contains sneak provisions opening the door to national health care. From a commentary by Betsy McCaughey: Tragically, no one from either party is objecting to the health provisions slipped in without discussion. These provisions reflect the handiwork of Tom Daschle, until recently the nominee to head the Health and Human Services Department.Senators should read these provisions and vote against them because they are dangerous to your health. (Page numbers refer to H.R. 1 EH, pdf version). The bill's health rules will affect "every individual in the United States" (445, 454, 479). Your medical treatments will ... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2172739 Tue, 10 Feb 2009 15:30:00 +0100 2172739 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2121592&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F01%2Finaugural-moment-to-improve-health-care.html Many phrases of US President Barack Obama's inaugural address seemed to speak to issues often discussed on Health Care Renewal. See the quotes below, taken in order from the transcript of the speech, and I hope not too much out of context.Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age.On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things.But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2121592 Wed, 21 Jan 2009 21:35:00 +0100 2121592 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2081469&cid=t_113044_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D766 Sense about Science have just produced a rather good pamphlet that exposes, yet again. the meaningless marketing slogan “detox”.  You can download the pamphlet from their web site. The pamphlet goes through the claims of eleven products.  Needless to say, the claims are either meaningless, or simply untrue. Garnier Clean Detox Anti-Dullness Foaming Gel “Detoxifies by cleansing the [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2081469 Mon, 05 Jan 2009 19:55:35 +0100 2081469 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2522971&cid=t_113044_93_f&fid=35707&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fhemodynamics%2F%7E3%2FE3MMCX_CgiU%2Fblagojevich-complaint-hospitals-and.html The news about Governor Blagojevich's alleged corrupt behavior has focused, understandably, on his scams to try to get payback for Obama's Senate seat. Intrigued by some incidental details about a shakedown of a children's hospital CEO, I searched for the word "hospital" in the affidavit. It appears 22 times, with two separate incidents, the first being about a "Certificate of Need" for another hospital and the other being the Children's Memorial incident. The "Certificate of Need" saga will be familiar to those who were already following the Tony Rezko trial, but since I hadn't realized how deeply the Rezko trial was entangled in hospital construction, I include this along with the Children's Hospital CEO.It's just a reminder that healthcare, perhaps the largest segment of our GDP, is jus... hemodynamics blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2522971 Fri, 12 Dec 2008 18:17:00 +0100 2522971 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2005696&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F12%2Fgonzalez-trial-for-pancreatic-cancer.html The regimen advocated by Nicholas Gonzalez is a variation of a “detoxification” treatment for cancer that has been around, in one form or another, for more than 50 years ("Gerson Therapy” is another example). Here is the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) description:Patients receive pancreatic enzymes orally every 4 hours and at meals daily on days 1-16, followed by 5 days of rest. Patients receive magnesium citrate and Papaya Plus with the pancreatic enzymes. Additionally, patients receive nutritional supplementation with vitamins, minerals, trace elements, and animal glandular products 4 times per day on days 1-16, followed by 5 days of rest. Courses repeat every 21 days until death despite relapse. Patients consume a moderate vegetarian metabolizer diet during the course of ther... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2005696 Mon, 01 Dec 2008 13:00:00 +0100 2005696 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1939005&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F11%2Fnational-century-financial-enterprises.html Last week, multiple news stories described convictions in the case of a remarkable health care fraud, affecting the now bankrupt National Century Financial Enterprises. Let me begin with a description of what the company did, from an article in the Columbus Dispatch:National Century Financial Enterprises ... began in 1991 to offer financing to small hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and other health-care providers. Using investors' funds, the Dublin company bought the providers' debt and gave them cash to cover expenses. It kept a fee or percentage of what was collected.Or, as Columbus Business First put it,A financier for health-care providers like doctors’ offices and hospitals, National Century’s bread and butter was buying accounts receivable from care providers at a discount, then... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1939005 Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:31:00 +0100 1939005 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1872986&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F10%2Fglobal-warming-refugees-in-antarctica.html I have remarked previously that too often, scientific studies are actually ideological advocacy tracts in disguise. Or, a scientific study is misreported without the nuance contained therein by media toward the same purpose and effect. Or, a study one day says A and the next day on the same topic says Z. Or, the most radical notions are embraced by our betters among the intelligentsia and media, and treated as fact when it is really mere wild speculation. Or hyped for political impact, etc., etc. Even the most patently ridiculous assertions are reported respectfully if it serves the overarching ideological purpose--as when CBS and MSNBC swallowed whole the claim by a clear crackpot that global warming caused earthquakes.And often, this unbelievable garbage is sponsored by big corporations.... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1872986 Mon, 13 Oct 2008 14:06:00 +0100 1872986 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1783155&cid=t_113044_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D254 There have been some really excellent books about quackery this year.  This isn’t one of them. Nice dedication uh? It is about a lot more than quackery  It is about the scientific method in general. and in particular about how often it is misunderstood by journalists.  Abuse of evidence by the pharmaceutical industry is treated just as [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1783155 Thu, 11 Sep 2008 13:15:43 +0100 1783155 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1679391&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D3949 Malaysiakini now reports that the Missing doctor fails to show up for work The doctor who had first treated sodomy complainant Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan and found no signs of him being sodomised did not report back to work at Hospital Pusrawi as was expected today. A check at the hospital this morning revealed that Dr Mohamed Osman Abdul Hamid, who has been on leave for two weeks, did not show up at the hospital located at Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur. According to officials at the hospital’s emergency unit where Mohamed Osman was attached, the latter was not present and his name was also not on the duty roster. They added that they had no clue when the doctor would report to work. We last heard he was “on leave” and no one knows where the doctor is. I certainly hope he... Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1679391 Mon, 04 Aug 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1679391 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1618035&cid=t_113044_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F07%2F13%2Famerican-psychiatric-association-under-scrutiny%2F Last night I watched Good Night, And Good Luck, a compelling drama about Edward R. Murrow’s out-on-a-ledge decision to ask questions about Joe McCarthy. Joe McCarthy, if you remember your U.S. history, was the junior senator from Wisconsin who somehow managed to get himself appointed to lead a Senate committee investigating the spread of Communism in the U.S. It led to the infamous McCarthy hearings, where innuendo and hearsay were all the evidence needed to convict people in the media. It was a chilling reminder that government can sometimes turn a legitimate investigation into corruption or scandal and simply take it one step too far. As we now fight our “war on terrorism,” U.S. citizens are reminded of this every time government imposes another restriction on its peop... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1618035 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 11:52:32 +0100 1618035 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1512054&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F06%2Fcorruption-of-journalism-facts-mean.html And the media wonder why they are so distrusted: The Orlando Sentinel continually describes Terri Schiavo's medical condition as "brain dead." This is clearly wrong. Brain dead is a popular term for death by neurological criteria and it means that the whole brain and every constituent part has ceased to function as a brain. Thus, there are no reflexes, the body can't breathe without support, etc.Terri Schiavo was clearly not brain dead. She breathed on her own. She swallowed her own saliva. She had sleep and wake cycles, she moved her body--none of which can be done by a brain dead body.But the Orlando Sentinel doesn't care. When Bobby Schindler complained that their description of his sister was factually inaccurate, they told him to go eat a fig. Here is their representative's letter to ... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1512054 Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:19:00 +0100 1512054 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1445990&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F05%2Fnih-trial-to-assess-chelation-therapy.html Conclusion are reasonably succinct and make the important points. Readers who want to learn more details, who want to see more evidence for our assertions, or who are compelled by an odd fascination with crackpotism (my own weakness) will want to read more. I've posted a similar announcement on Science-Based Medicine. (Source: Health Care Renewal) Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1445990 Fri, 16 May 2008 12:00:00 +0100 1445990 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1446636&cid=t_113044_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D232 After writing the recent post Boots reaches new level of dishonesty with CoQ10 promotion, I sent a complaint about the dishonesty of the advertisements to the Advertising Standards Authority. I got a surprsingly fast response. On April 22 I got “it appears you have a valid point and, with a view to acting quickly, have [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1446636 Wed, 14 May 2008 12:11:55 +0100 1446636 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1437352&cid=t_113044_150_f&fid=36939&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscientific-misconduct.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F05%2Flsd-and-corruption-of-medicine-part-v.html This is the last in a series of posts marking the death of Albert Hofmann, inventor of LSD.Over two decades starting in 1953 a CIA project named MK-ULTRA controlled a U.S. academic chemical interrogation research program. The seeds for many of the current problems of medicine lie in the story of MK-ULTRA. The research involved murder and the torture of tens of thousands of unwitting human participants. MK-ULTRA set the standard for later industrial-university collaboration. It set the most important precedent for the collusion of academic leadership and civilized government with scientific misconduct. It was the most flagrant violation of the just-signed Nuremberg code of ethics.Porton Down LSD testsExperiments on "unwitting" humans involving LSD and other agents were also carried out in t... Scientific Misconduct Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1437352 Mon, 12 May 2008 19:09:00 +0100 1437352 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1434701&cid=t_113044_150_f&fid=36939&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscientific-misconduct.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F05%2Flsd-and-corruption-of-medicine-part-iv.html In this report, Pfizer (then called Chas. Pfizer & Co., Inc.) discusses its first year of research under its contract to create incapacitating agents, which produce tremors, dysphoria, confusion, muscle fatigue, pain, vomiting, diarrhea, difficulty breathing or swallowing, hypersensitive skin, dangerously low blood pressure, and - most importantly - retrograde amnesia.The program of research involved several drugs including LSD. From pages 45-6 of the report: "Retrograde amnesia has been considered as a novel type of incapacitation that a drug may produce and was, therefore, included as a part of our research program".For any business to succeed, it must know why it is there, and what it is there to achieve. Pfizer's public mission statement is: "We dedicate ourselves to humanity's quest f... Scientific Misconduct Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1434701 Sun, 11 May 2008 13:52:00 +0100 1434701 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1434054&cid=t_113044_150_f&fid=36939&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscientific-misconduct.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F05%2Flsd-and-corruption-of-medicine-part-iii.html This is the third in a series marking the death of Albert Hofmann, inventor of LSD. Over two decades starting in 1953 a CIA project named MK-ULTRA controlled a U.S. academic chemical interrogation research program. For Part I see Part I: Invention and the beginnings of MK-ULTRAFor Part II see Part II: The entanglement of academiaThe importance of namesNames matter and faces matter. Naming is part of the way in which we quality control any properly functioning system. I have wondered how many executives of Eli Lilly, Schering Plough, Merck and GSK, or academics such as Martin Keller have stopped to consider what their children might think of them in years to come. Such individuals should expect to have to answer questions. They should not expect anonymity, particularly when people die or ar... Scientific Misconduct Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1434054 Sat, 10 May 2008 15:45:00 +0100 1434054 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1427254&cid=t_113044_150_f&fid=36939&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscientific-misconduct.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F05%2Flsd-and-corruption-of-medicine-part-ii.html This study study suggested that this was ‘particularly effective for democratically-run membership organizations, which need to assure their own unwitting members and collaborators, as well as their hostile critics, that they have genuine, respectable, private sources of income.’ (US Senate 1976: 182-183)[5]In some cases funding was passed through ostensible research foundation auspices to conceal the source of funding from the researcher's institution[3,17] even if the researchers themselves were aware.It is undoubtedly the case that a few of these academics did not know the true source of funds. As pointed out in the Church Report these researchers were disabled from exercising choice to withdraw based on the nature of the sponsor[17]. Price discusses the way in which anthropologists... Scientific Misconduct Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1427254 Wed, 07 May 2008 19:56:00 +0100 1427254 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1427255&cid=t_113044_150_f&fid=36939&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscientific-misconduct.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F05%2Fquiz-question-who-produced-lsd-for-cia.html Before I post episide II of the MK-ULTRA story and its relevance for University contracting (See: LSD and the corruption of medicine -Part I), Matt Holford prompted me to find out who produced LSD for the MK-ULTRA sponsored torture studies. In my previous post I implied that Sandoz remained the source. In fact CIA documents show that a U.S. source for LSD supply was desired. In 1953 the CIA provided Eli Lilly with funding to attempt synthesis of LSD for CIA use without the need for the expensive and scarce reagents required by Sandoz. A year later, Lilly chemists succeeded in their quest, and subsequent supplies were from Lilly[1,2]. Another more potent chemical used by MK-Ultra, BZ (3-quinuclidinyl benzilate), was produced by Hoffman-La Roche.References:CIA documents: Document #24, 16 Nov... Scientific Misconduct Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1427255 Tue, 06 May 2008 21:45:00 +0100 1427255 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1419370&cid=t_113044_150_f&fid=36939&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscientific-misconduct.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F05%2Flsd-and-corruption-of-medicine-part-i.html Albert Hofmann, the inventor of LSD died last week (on Apr 29 2008) at age 102 [1]. The invention of LSD is of considerable importance to any discussion about the corruption of science in medicine. The seeds for many of the current problems of medicine lie in the story of LSD and a mysterious organization called MK-ULTRA. Hofmann's invention was the stimulus underlying a program of research which involved murder and the torture of tens of thousands of unwitting human participants. MK-ULTRA set the standards for later industrial-university collaboration. It set the most important precedent for the collusion of academic leadership and civilized government with scientific misconduct. It was the most flagrant violation of the just-signed Nuremberg code of ethics. These events of 50 years ago p... Scientific Misconduct Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1419370 Sun, 04 May 2008 15:11:00 +0100 1419370 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1379372&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F04%2Fdebasement-of-science-by-academia.html From Bloomberg in "Merck Masked Vioxx Risk, Hired Study Ghostwriters":Jim Fitzpatrick, an attorney with Hughes, Hubbard and Reed who helped represent Merck in its Vioxx litigation, said all authors on Merck studies had input on them. It is part of the scientific process to list authors with varying degrees of involvement, he said in a telephone interview. ``Merck's expectation is if a scientist is an author on a paper, then he or she agrees with the paper, has had the opportunity to comment and make revisions,'' Fitzpatrick said. ``I think it does give the paper more credibility if there is a respected outside author that has reviewed and edited the content of the paper.'' If those are Merck's "expectations" for authorship, then Merck science seems seriously troubled, indeed.This seems typ... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1379372 Thu, 17 Apr 2008 11:13:00 +0100 1379372 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1294372&cid=t_113044_109_f&fid=34800&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FClinicalPsychologyAndPsychiatryACloserLook%2F%7E3%2F249508133%2Fnot-much-money-kols-and-child-bipolar.html Intro. A few months ago, I wrote about key opinion leaders in psychiatry arguing that we shouldn't be making such a big deal about their payments from drug companies. After all, they were just receiving chump change. At the time, my motivation was spurred by a great piece in the New York Times on the issue of physicians receiving payments from drug companies. Physicians are often paid to become "key opinion leaders," aka salespeople. Often possessing academic positions, these KOLs give speeches to fellow physicians in which they extol the virtues of a drug in exchange for cash. Of course, physicians might be leery if a sales representative was discussing the latest wonder drug, so using an "independent" physician uses a basic marketing trick, the third-party technique, in order to give the... Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1294372 Tue, 11 Mar 2008 13:26:00 +0100 1294372 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1252695&cid=t_113044_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D220 This afternoon I went to the Coliseum to see a revival of Jonathan Miller’s 1986 production of the Mikado. It was beautifully staged. The well-known patter song of Ko-Ko, the Lord High Executioner of Japan, begged for a version that deals with anti-science (original here). The serious post will come later. [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1252695 Sun, 24 Feb 2008 08:16:44 +0100 1252695 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1191337&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F01%2Ftruly-disturbing-lawsuit-against-duke.html Most everyone is aware of the Duke lacrosse team scandal, the debacle about alleged rape by Duke lacrosse team students that led to the resignation of prosecutor Nifong for prosecutorial misconduct, exoneration of the accused, an expose of the radical agendas of a subset of Duke's faculty, and a great deal of national publicity, or, I should say, notoriety.Now, in Dec. 2007 several of the team members have filed a civil suit. The lawsuit filing documents are downloadable from these links (PDF files):Part 1 (100 kb PDF)Part 2 (1.3 Mb PDF)I recommend downloading and perusing these in their entirely. Absolutely stunning.Using Adobe Acrobat, a search in them upon the term "medical" is of great concern. Named in the suit as defendants are Duke University Health Systems, a private diagnostic cli... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1191337 Thu, 31 Jan 2008 16:56:00 +0100 1191337 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1177656&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F01%2Flux-et-veritas-or-trust-but-verify-yale.html Recent amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure concerning the discovery of “electronically stored information” have created headaches for organizations that rely extensively on digital information and communication technologies (ICT's). Which includes most organizations in the 21st century. No fooling.Roy Poses has written about conflicts of interest and other forms of ethical problems in academic medical centers in posts such as here, here and here.Add Yale to the list. Further, add Yale to the list of organizations discovering the eDiscovery is no laughing matter. In this presentation (Powerpoint .pps file) by Yale's Information Technology Services entitled "What The New e-Discovery Rules Mean to Me", we discover that Yale has perhaps discovered the wages of professorial s... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1177656 Fri, 25 Jan 2008 19:29:00 +0100 1177656 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1150644&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fcorruption-and-world-banks-health-care.html On this blog, since all our bloggers are based in the US, we tend to focus on health care corruption, conflicts of interest, and mismanagement within our own country. However, we know these problems are global. Anyone doubting that in the least should read the 2006 Global Corruption Report by Transparency International, which dealt solely with health care corruption. (For a quick summary, see our post here.) The report asserted that:Corruption - alongside poverty, inequity, civil conflict, discrimination and violence - is a major issue that has not been adequately addressed.... It leads to the skewing of health spending priorities and the leaching of health budgets, resulting in the neglect of diseases and those communities affected by them; it also means that poor people often decide agai... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1150644 Mon, 14 Jan 2008 21:52:00 +0100 1150644 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1116862&cid=t_113044_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D212 We here a lot about leadership these days. It has become one of the favourite buzzwords of those who do neither research not teaching. Quite what it means is never clear, but one thing it should include is setting a good example in ethical behaviour. So what’s going wrong? We’ve seen the case [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1116862 Wed, 26 Dec 2007 14:17:27 +0100 1116862 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1081828&cid=t_113044_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D210 The Times Higher Education Supplement (THES) last week had a headline “Staff loyalty key to Hefce report”. Staff loyalty is something I’m interested in, so I read on eagerly. The article was about report from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). It came from their Leadership, Governance and Management Strategic Advisory Committee (dated 2-3 [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1081828 Sun, 09 Dec 2007 14:14:09 +0100 1081828 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1081645&cid=t_113044_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D210 The Times Higher Education Supplement (THES) last week had a headline “Staff loyalty key to Hefce report”. Staff loyalty is something I’m interested in, so I read on eagerly. The article was about report from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). It came from their Leadership, Governance and Management Strategic Advisory Committee (dated 2-3 [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1081645 Sat, 08 Dec 2007 23:16:35 +0100 1081645 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1018991&cid=t_113044_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D195 No longer are we just told what to do from the top. Important decisions are preceded by a long period of consultation. That is a wonderful contribution to democracy. Sometimes. But in truth, these consultations are only too often totally sham public relations exercises. Here are a couple [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1018991 Sat, 10 Nov 2007 19:00:03 +0100 1018991 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1012611&cid=t_113044_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D194 This may seem very odd to people outside the biosciences area, but in recent years a business has grown up that will write a paper for you, on the basis of data supplied by a pharmaceutical company. The person who actually did the writing will usually not appear as an author at all [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1012611 Wed, 07 Nov 2007 21:33:07 +0100 1012611 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1009694&cid=t_113044_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D193 The Corporate Corruption of Higher Education: part 2. Scientists are no longer perceived exclusively as guardians of objective truth, but also as smart promoters of their own interests in a media-driven marketplace. Haerlin & Parr, Nature, 1999, 400, 499. This is a continuation of the previous post on Universities Inc, but with two examples from the UK. University [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1009694 Tue, 06 Nov 2007 20:21:31 +0100 1009694 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1010770&cid=t_113044_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D192 The Corporate Corruption of Higher Education: part 1 The next post is about examples from the UK. Academic biologists and corporate researchers have become indistinguishable, and special awards are now given for collaborations between these two sectors for behavior that used to be cited as a conflict of interest. Richard Strohman, 1999. Every academic, and especially every university administrator, [...] (Source: DC's Improbable Science) DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1010770 Tue, 06 Nov 2007 14:39:31 +0100 1010770 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1007821&cid=t_113044_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D192 The Corporate Corruption of Higher Education Academic biologists and corporate researchers have become indistinguishable, and special awards are now given for collaborations between these two sectors for behavior that used to be cited as a conflict of interest. Richard Strohman, 1999. Every academic, and especially every university administrator, should read this book. Although it is entirely about the [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1007821 Tue, 06 Nov 2007 14:39:31 +0100 1007821 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1000961&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F11%2Fhoward-brody-on-bribery-and-on-spending.html On the Hooked: Ethics, Medicine, and Pharma blog, Howard Brody finished up this week with a bang.First, he addressed the issue of gifts given to doctors meant to induce them to change their professional decision making. On the heels of a report by Consumers International entitled "Drugs, Doctors and Dinner: How drug companies influence health in the developing world," he noted that some media reports are starting to talk about pharma giving bribes, not just gifts to doctors. Brody acknowledged that he, and many others (yours truly included) have refrained from using such a direct word. But after all, a bribe is "money or any other valuable consideration given or promised with a view to corrupting the behavior of a person, esp. in that person's performance as an athlete, public official, et... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1000961 Fri, 02 Nov 2007 20:50:00 +0100 1000961 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=944519&cid=t_113044_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F10%2Fhealth-care-policy-found-to-be-holding.html This is a local Rhode Island tale, but one with some ramifications. Mike Stanton, the Providence Journal's well-known investigative reporter, just broke the story of yet another legislative leader pleading guilty to selling his office. In this case, he sold his office to prominent local and national health care organizations, for the purposes of influencing health policy.Gerard M. Martineau was the bag man of Blue Cross [and Blue Shield of Rhode Island] and CVS — but he was 8 million bags short.Now, the former Rhode Island House majority leader is the second ex-legislator, after John Celona, to admit to selling his office in the federal State House corruption probe known as Operation Dollar Bill.As part of a $900,000 corruption scheme that the longtime Woonsocket Democrat has admitted to... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=944519 Thu, 11 Oct 2007 14:33:00 +0100 944519 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=811188&cid=t_113044_135_f&fid=35263&url=http%3A%2F%2Fronhudson.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F08%2Fbill-moyers-on-karl-rove.html Categories: politics Bill+Moyers PBS Karl+Rove corruption big+money religion separation+of+church+and+state bigotry homophobia (Source: 2sides2ron) 2sides2ron blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=811188 Mon, 20 Aug 2007 15:47:00 +0100 811188 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=551384&cid=t_113044_133_f&fid=35452&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.graphictruth.com%2F2007%2F04%2Fre-jim-gibbons-ref-we-told-you-so.html TPMmuckraker March 30, 2007 09:51 AMMore Trouble for GibbonsBy Paul Kiel - March 30, 2007, 9:51 AMThe Wall Street Journal continues (sub. req.) to make life miserable for Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons. The paper first reported a month ago that Gibbons was under federal investigation for improper gifts (possible bribes) from a defense contractor.Now the paper reports that Gibbons' business as a legislator was intertwined with a second defense contractor:The wife of Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons was hired as a consultant to a defense contractor at the same time that her husband, who was then a member of Congress, helped the company get funding for a no-bid federal contract. Dawn Gibbons got about $35,000 in consulting fees in 2004 from Sierra Nevada Corp., of Sparks, Nev., the company said. Mr. Gibbons... Graphictruth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=551384 Tue, 03 Apr 2007 04:00:00 +0100 551384