Capitalist Grins Before Congress

[Captain_Vietnam]

 

Embattled drug entrepreneur Martin Shkreli â€” who vigorously defended his decision to hike the price of a life-saving drug from $13.50 to $750 â€” suddenly went silent Thursday at a Congressional committee, smirking and grinning instead of answering questions.

Now facing an unrelated federal criminal indictment, the typically loquacious Shkreli refused to testify, repeatedly citing his Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate himself.

Members of Congress launched into fiery lectures directed at Shkreli, whose previous company, Turing Pharmaceuticals, came under scrutiny when it raised the price of Daraprim more than 5,000%.

"Drug company executives are lining their pockets at the expense of some of the most vulnerable families in our nation," U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Maryland, said. "It's not funny, Mr. Shkreli. People are dying and they're getting sicker and sicker."

The boyish-faced Shkreli sat quietly at the witness table, clasping his hands tightly and slowly rubbing his fingers together as he was lectured. He smirked several times and appeared on the verge of laughter at one point when Cummings was speaking.

After the hearing, he removed any doubt about his feelings.

"Hard to accept that these imbeciles represent the people in our government," Shkreli said on Twitter, where he proceeded to retweet several users who posted supportive messages.

Pelted with hostile questions, Shkreli repeatedly recited a prepared statement that he would not testify on the advice of his counsel. He is facing multiple criminal securities charges over allegations that he took stock from a previous biotech company to pay off business debts and lied about the investment returns of his former hedge fund.

 

When U.S. Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-South Carolina, professed to be flabbergasted at Shkreli's silence on drug-price-hiking issues, which are not related to his indictment. He told the entrepreneur that he could testify on those issues without incriminating himself.

 

"I intend to follow the advice of counsel, not yours," Shkreli said.

At one point, Shkreli's attorney, Ben Brafman, stood up in the crowd and tried to intervene. But U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, chairman of the committee, quickly rejected Brafman's efforts.

"No you are not recognized and you will be seated," Chaffetz said.

After less than an hour, Chaffetz dismissed Shkreli from the hearing since he was refusing to say anything.

In a brief press conference, Brafman sought to explain Shkreli's dismissive facial expressions, saying his client was just "nervous." Shkreli did not comment.

In days before the hearing, he blasted Congress and made sarcastic jokes on Twitter about the subpoena he received to testify.

"I'm not going to say anything other than the 5th Amendment," he said recently. "They just want this to be a circus."

U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Georgia, the only pharmacist in Congress, said he supports free-market principles but was "disgusted" by drug-price-hiking companies.

"What was done here was different," Carter said. "Perverse business practices were employed."

The charismatic persona that Shkreli has cultivated â€” paying $2 million for the only copy of a new Wu Tang Clan album and setting up a web cam to film himself working â€” amplified the tension with Congress.

"People in my district are not on the Forbes billionaire list â€” they can’t buy Wu Tang Clan albums for $2 million," Cummings said. "Like many Americans they struggle every single month to pay for the increasing cost of housing, education and health care. They live from paycheck to paycheck and sometimes from no check to no check."

In addition to Shkreli, several other executives were also set to appear before the committee.

Howard Schiller, interim CEO of Valeant Pharmaceuticals, which has also come under fire for its business model and drug prices, cited the company's recent price-cutting deal with Walgreens as an example of its responsiveness.

"We’re listening and we’re changing," he said. "We have more to do."

Schiller pledged that any future drug price increases would be "much more modest" than the increases that enraged Congress.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/its-not-funny-mr-shkreli-drug-exec-grins-before-congress/ar-BBp7IO0?ocid=spartanntp

 

capitalism at its finest! look at good strong nation can do if buisness was nationalized! the current americans are all a bunch of narcissistic self centered athiest capitalists like this guy!

 

look what capitalism has done for america! 

 

 

[Captain_Vietnam]

[Magicboyd25]

Shkreli is slime. Not everyone in the top tier of society is like him, however he is not alone.

 

This is why I agree with Bernie Sanders in controlling the pharma industry a bit more to prevent ridiculous prices. How that would be done, I can't say, I'm not an expert in that field.

[Peter Quill]

For once, I agree with Capt. Vietnam.

[Fox Fire]

Thanks for copying the example I always use.

[Doktor Avalanche]

Why is it when I see that image I always see both political parties sitting at the top, and all their cronies sitting in the lower tiers while the rest of us are at the bottom? Its not capitalism doing this; its voting for the same people over and over again while they do nothing except live off of the system as public servant taking handouts from their corporate friends who keep funding them. Hillary being the worst of them.

[Captain_Vietnam]

Why is it when I see that image I always see both political parties sitting at the top, and all their cronies sitting in the lower tiers while the rest of us are at the bottom? Its not capitalism doing this; its voting for the same people over and over again while they do nothing except live off of the system as public servant taking handouts from their corporate friends who keep funding them. Hillary being the worst of them.

hillary is evil woman who should be brought to justice

[Doktor Avalanche]

hillary is evil woman who should be brought to justice

Most of Congress and Senate along with most cabinet members need to be brought to justice.

[Lannan13]

The creator stands on his own judgment. The parasite follows the opinions of others. The creator thinks, the parasite copies. The creator produces, the parasite loots. The creator's concern is the conquest of nature - the parasite's concern is the conquest of men. The creator requires independence, he neither serves nor rules. He deals with men by free exchange and voluntary choice."- Howard Roark

[Big Brother]

The creator stands on his own judgment. The parasite follows the opinions of others. The creator thinks, the parasite copies. The creator produces, the parasite loots. The creator's concern is the conquest of nature - the parasite's concern is the conquest of men. The creator requires independence, he neither serves nor rules. He deals with men by free exchange and voluntary choice."- Howard Roark

 

Personally, I love this quote but I don't understand how you fail to see that capitalists fit the definition of "parasite" that is described. Capitalists follow the opinions of others, usually some Western philosopher with a boner for Social Darwinism and the free market (most people's opinions actually build on someone else's opinion). While the workers create, the capitalists exploit their creations. White the workers produce, the capitalists loot the fruits of their labor and takes it for themselves. Capitalists are concerned with the conquest of men, because they need the subservience of men in order to exploit their labor. All people require independence, but the capitalist robs the worker of independence, by subjugating him to exploitation and wage slavery. All people should deal with men by free exchange and voluntary choice, but again the capitalists rob them off this opportunity.

 

Parasites are organisms that use the energy and work of others to strengthen themselves, just like capitalists exploit the energy and work of others, to make themselves stronger and richer. Howard Roarke said some good things in The Fountainhead, too bad it was directed at the wrong people.

Edited February 7, 2016 by Big Brother

[Lannan13]

Personally, I love this quote but I don't understand how you fail to see that capitalists fit the definition of "parasite" that is described. Capitalists follow the opinions of others, usually some Western philosopher with a boner for Social Darwinism and the free market (most people's opinions actually build on someone else's opinion). While the workers create, the capitalists exploit their creations. White the workers produce, the capitalists loot the fruits of their labor and takes it for themselves. Capitalists are concerned with the conquest of men, because they need the subservience of men in order to exploit their labor. All people require independence, but the capitalist robs the worker of independence, by subjugating him to exploitation and wage slavery. All people should deal with men by free exchange and voluntary choice, but again the capitalists rob them off this opportunity.

 

Parasites are organisms that use the energy and work of others to strengthen themselves, just like capitalists exploit the energy and work of others, to make themselves stronger and richer. Howard Roarke said some good things in The Fountainhead, too bad it was directed at the wrong people.

[Eric]

Well...not gonna jump into political debate since I'm still trying to figure out what's all the big deal about the Idaho caucus or whatever.

 

But this Shrekli guy sounds like a world class butt.

[Doktor Avalanche]

Well...not gonna jump into political debate since I'm still trying to figure out what's all the big deal about the Idaho caucus or whatever.

 

But this Shrekli guy sounds like a world class butt.

It was not a political move Shkreli did. He decided to sell one of his pills in his company for a massive increase of 5000% its cost on the market for increased profit. Instead it backfired and the pill was reduced in a matter of days close to its original cost. People are associating this with Capitalism, and the free market at that- which in an actual free market there would be competitive pharmaceuticals available.

[Ayayay]

No one should ever have to suffer from an image with a 9gag watermark

[Big Brother]

 

Two can play this game!