Thoughts on Pig Flu and whole lot more.

What do these things have in common:

Aspartame
HDTV
Tamiflu

not only that ... but how about rBGH (the "milk hormone" or "bovine growth hormone" we've been feeding our cows)


Donald Rumsfeld


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumsfeld

From 1977 to 1985 Rumsfeld served as Chief Executive Officer, President, and then Chairman of G. D. Searle & Company, a worldwide pharmaceutical company based in Skokie, Illinois. During his tenure at Searle, Rumsfeld led the company's financial turnaround, thereby earning awards as the Outstanding Chief Executive Officer in the Pharmaceutical Industry from the Wall Street Transcript (1980) and Financial World (1981). In 1985, Searle was sold to Monsanto. Rumsfeld is believed to have earned around $12 million from this sale.[26]

Rumsfeld served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of General Instrument Corporation from 1990 to 1993. A leader in broadband transmission, distribution, and access control technologies for cable, satellite and terrestrial broadcasting applications, the company pioneered the development of the first all-digital high-definition television (HDTV) technology. After taking the company public and returning it to profitability, Rumsfeld returned to private business in late 1993

From January 1997 until being sworn in as the 21st Secretary of Defense in January 2001, Rumsfeld served as Chairman of Gilead Sciences, Inc. Gilead Sciences is the developer of Tamiflu (Oseltamivir), which is used in the treatment of bird flu.[27]As a result, Rumsfeld's holdings in the company grew significantly when avian flu became a subject of popular anxiety during his later term as Secretary of Defense. Following standard practice, Rumsfeld recused himself from any decisions involving Gilead, and he directed the Pentagon's General Counsel issue instructions outlining what he could and could not be involved in if there were an avian flu pandemic and the Pentagon had to respond.[28][29][30]

From the buyout of Searle by Monsanto (Aspartame, rBGH) , to taking General Instrument Co. public (w/ HDTV), then to become Chairman of Gilead Sciences (Tamiflu - a la marketing help from Roche Pharmaceuticals) - Donald Rumsfeld has had a financial stake in all of these products - reaping hordes of cash. He then becomes Secretary of Defense with influence on affairs we will never know.

This comes to mind with the Pig Flu all the rage - look at how well Roche is doing - and they only do/did the marketing (not only the US but Japan, as well - think SARS, Avian flu):

http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/41/41787.html

Roche is on a roll. The company operates two segments, pharmaceuticals and diagnostics, and sells its products in more than 150 countries. Roche's prescription drugs include cancer therapies MabThera/Rituxan and Herceptin, anemia treatment NeoRecormon/Epogin, hepatitis drug Pegasys, transplant drug CellCept, obesity treatment Xenical, and Tamiflu, which is used to prevent and treat influenza, including avian strains. The company markets many of its bestsellers through subsidiary Genentech and affiliate Chugai Pharmaceutical (Japan). Roche's diagnostics arm offers advanced DNA tests, diabetes monitoring supplies, and point-of-care diagnostics used in a variety of health care settings.

Don will certainly make a lot of money from the sales of Tamiflu (oseltamivir sulfate)

I am not even touching on what this man did as the Secretary of Defense during the build-up, execution, victory and occupation of Iraq. I would just like to point out the interconnectedness of this man on so many levels in making money.

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