Bush to Veto Stem Cell Bill on Wednesday
This is a very sticky subject but I hope to put a different light on it than has been discussed. I am not adverse to stem cell research...(anti abortion people hold your breath). I am against abortion as a rule, however the embryos that are being used for stem cell research are already dead so to speak.
First an explanation of where these stem cells are coming from. When a couple that cannot naturally have children want to do so anyway, they go to a lab. Depending on whether it is the man's problem or the woman's problem, they can have their sperm or eggs harvested. If one or both of them do not have the necessary equipment, they can buy sperm or eggs from a "bank". Anyone who has watched "Friends" religiously knows that they implant up to five or six fertilized eggs at a time, because there is only a 20% or so chance that one will attach to the uterine lining. What all this means for research is that there are thousands of fertilized eggs that are discarded every day. What the embryonic stem cell research program does is use these discarded embryos for their stem cells to do research that may or may not give results.
My issue with this is not a moral one. It is one of Economics. Drug companies pay for research into various fields because if they can develop a usable drug to cure something, they can then sell that drug to make money. This falls in line with supply and demand. Let's say for example that there are 50 million people who have the flu. The drug companies sink 50 million dollars into researching and creating a drug that will cure the flu. They then sell the drug they created for $1.25. The result for the drug company is $62,500,000. Subtract the 50mil that they spent in development and production and they have a profit of $12.5 million. (For the amateur economists out there, this is a very stripped down example, obviously there are other market forces in play).
My point here is that if these stem cells from these embryos are showing any kind of promise in being able to cure sicknesses, there will be investors lining up down the block to sink money into the venture looking for a return. This is basic economics.
This is a very important distinction in this issue. This bill in Congress has nothing to do with the legality of stem cell research. It is a bill to provide federal funding for stem cell research. The governments involvement in this is not only unnecessary, it is dangerous because it sets a precedent for government involvement in private market research. What will happen is that the drug companies will be using the governments money (your money) to develop a drug that they will then sell to you at a massive profit and they will not have to give one dime back to the government. Stay with me here. THEY WILL TAKE YOUR MONEY, DEVELOP A PRODUCT AND THEN SELL IT TO YOU FOR MORE OF YOUR MONEY. Do you see the problem I have?
For those of you who are opposed to embryonic stem cell research on moral grounds I have this to say: I understand why and I cannot fault you for thinking the way you do; however fear not, if this embryonic stem cell research showed any promise at all there would be private investors waiting in line with cash in hand to invest, if not there will be no investors and the program will die. The free market economy will do for you what the government refuses to do.
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I think I see your point. You're saying in a roundabout way that my money would in effect be unwillingly invested in something and the profit would go to someone else. That is, and I believe, that your arguement is purely economic. If that's the case then I agree.....mostly. Lets say the money would go to research that is not an ethical issue. Lets say there was a drug company that needed funding for a drug that could cure every disease known to man. If my money went to that, and it worked, then I wouldn't really have a problem not reaping any monetary gain from it. But obviously stem cell research is controversial so I wouldn't want my money going to that.
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