To try to help bridge the views of many here on opposite sides:
Do you agree that the government, as the representative of the public interests, has an obligation to ensure that drugs needed for public health are affordably availble?
In particular, do agree that the government is right to use the following guideline:
1. If the 'free market' meets the need of affordable drugs, great.
2. If it falls short, the next step is for the government regulate and incent as needed.
3. If the government cannot get the need supplied with #2, then it can evaluate whether the need is best met through direct involvement - funding/producing the drugs.
For #1 above, perhaps and example is computer games. With the exception of America's Army propaganda for recruiting, this market pretty much takes care of itself.
For #2 above, perhaps energy is an example. While it's mostly met privately, it's highly regulated, with price controls and subsidies.
For #3 above, perhaps fire departments are an example. The natio used to have private companies for it, but it was found to not meet the need and work best this way.
I'm wondering if there's much common ground on the above, or if the ideology some have makes them disagree.
Do you agree that the government, as the representative of the public interests, has an obligation to ensure that drugs needed for public health are affordably availble?
In particular, do agree that the government is right to use the following guideline:
1. If the 'free market' meets the need of affordable drugs, great.
2. If it falls short, the next step is for the government regulate and incent as needed.
3. If the government cannot get the need supplied with #2, then it can evaluate whether the need is best met through direct involvement - funding/producing the drugs.
For #1 above, perhaps and example is computer games. With the exception of America's Army propaganda for recruiting, this market pretty much takes care of itself.
For #2 above, perhaps energy is an example. While it's mostly met privately, it's highly regulated, with price controls and subsidies.
For #3 above, perhaps fire departments are an example. The natio used to have private companies for it, but it was found to not meet the need and work best this way.
I'm wondering if there's much common ground on the above, or if the ideology some have makes them disagree.