Pharmaceutical companies generally do not wish to R&D, let alone maintain production of, vaccines (such as the one for influenza) or drugs that people would not take long term because the longer someone has to take a drug the more profits the pharmaceutical companies can make. Things like antibiotics have only limited demand under ordinary conditions and thus there is little profit to be made by producing them. Pharmaceutical companies would rather sell drugs for things like chronic pain, high blood pressure and cholesterol because more people taken then than take antibiotics or vaccines so these things command a higher market price.

Thus we end up with drug resistant infectious diseases like the TB that that stupid shyster has been spreading around because we have so few drugs to use against them.

My question is: should the government find some way to force pharmaceutical companies to develop and produce drugs that have little profit but which would be vital in dealing with an unforeseen epidemic or combating a bio-terrorist attack? Should we tell the drug companies that they must develop a new antibiotic or bio-terrorist antidote or vaccine for, say, every 2 or 3 new cholesterol, impotence or high blood pressure drugs they get a patent on?

They MUST develop a vaccine? Do you know how many virus based diseases there are cures for? None! The same with vaccines, some diseases are going to be impossible to find vaccines for, yet the government is going to FORCE them to find one?

Years ago in California, the state legislature passed a law that 10% of all new cars sold had to be electric or hybrid. What was not taken into consideration was that consumers DID NOT wasnt to buy those pieces of shit. The only way dealerships could even come close was by dragging in customers kicking and screaming at gunpoint.

I do not believe in the government forcing anyone or any business into doing anything.

This is even stupider than the "Liberal World" thread started a few days ago. And I thought it would take more than just a few days to top the stupidity in that one.

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Liberal-a person who has his cake, eats his cake, and complains that other people don't have cake, and believes that you should donate your cake to them

Did I specify any particular pathogen that a vaccine had to be developed for? No, and you are a belligerent jackass in the finest libertarian mode who is incapable of understanding the issue I present. All I am asking for is that pharmaceutical companies spend more money on R&D for drugs that may be needed someday for the sake of public health.