Schkreli convicted of

[Seattle Husker]

Another brash New Yorker that refused to listen to the advice of his lawyer and believed he was invincible has been convicted of 2 counts of securities fraud and 1 count of conspiracy. Here is what he posted on social media a week ago. Does this sound familiar? Today he exclaimed "maybe they found a few broomsticks".

This guy made national news when as the CEO of a drug company he raised the price for a popular AIDS drug from $13.50 a pill to $750/pill.

 

[Crockett]

I had an acquaintance (certainly wouldn't call him a friend) who said "There's no law against being an a**hole." Yeah ... well, I guess it depends on what you do while being an a**hole.

 

[BrntOrngStmpeDe]

I had an acquaintance (certainly wouldn't call him a friend) who said "There's no law against being an a**hole." Yeah ... well, I guess it depends on what you do while being an a**hole.

And here is where I part ways with most of the GOP that proclaim that we don't need the federal government (DEA, DOJ, Fed Reserve, etc). I think we need smart rules, smart policies, and efficient agencies.... but we need the federal government to stop criminals like this who operate under the "if I can get away with it" style of capitalism. Socialism sucks but so can unbridled capitalism.

 

[theiioftx]

Are you really expecting someone will post a defense for him? He was not prosecuted for the gouging though was he? He simply had a ponzi scheme working.

 

[BrntOrngStmpeDe]

I don't expect anyone will post a defense because this is a blatant abuse of both his power to gouge and the Ponzi scheme. But...I would say that the constant refrain of "hrrmph, hrrmph, Cap'lism good...gub'ment bad" doesn't give the due credit to the government for chasing/containing/prosecuting capitalisms' bad guys like this. The federal government is bad at running most things. They pick the least efficient means/methods half the time and they reward inside players way too frequently but they are the only entity with enough clout to take down big abusers of power/money/influence like this. The Rick Perry acolytes of the world (ie. get rid of these three agencies folks) are undervaluing what a federal agency does for safeguarding those that can't vote with their wallet.

 

[iatrogenic]

There is no bigger abuser of power/money/influence than the federal government. It makes pill boy's antics insignificant in comparison.

 

[mchammer]

There is no bigger abuser of power/money/influence than the federal government. It makes pill boy's antics insignificant in comparison.

Yes, what an Enron may do (on a large scale) every decade or so, the government abuses (on a smaller scale) day in and day out. The latter is more costly but the former gets the headlines.

 

[ProdigalHorn]

And here is where I part ways with most of the GOP that proclaim that we don't need the federal government (DEA, DOJ, Fed Reserve, etc).

I haven't heard anyone on the GOP side arguing to get rid of the DOJ or even the DEA. The Fed, yes. Conservatives are almost never anarchists, so equating smaller government and eliminating redundant/outdated bureaucracies with getting rid of federal government is pretty ridiculous.

If you're going to respond by saying "I've got a bunch of conservative friends on social who are always shooting their mouths off about getting rid of the federal government," then that's fine, but I'd venture to say almost none of them really mean it. A few might think they mean it but would pretty quickly qualify their statement after a couple of questions.

 

[ProdigalHorn]

Here is what he posted on social media a week ago. Does this sound familiar?

At the risk of being branded a "Trumpster", what exactly is your point? That this guy cried "witch hunt" and used a Trump line and was eventually found to be a crook, so.... what's our conclusion supposed to be here? Is "witch hunt" now one of those dog whistle terms or something?

 

[Seattle Husker]

At the risk of being branded a "Trumpster", what exactly is your point? That this guy cried "witch hunt" and used a Trump line and was eventually found to be a crook, so.... what's our conclusion supposed to be here? Is "witch hunt" now one of those dog whistle terms or something?

I found it interesting that a person, that would later be found guilty, felt it potent enough a dog whistle to leverage it.

 

[BrntOrngStmpeDe]

I haven't heard anyone on the GOP side arguing to get rid of the DOJ or even the DEA. The Fed, yes. Conservatives are almost never anarchists, so equating smaller government and eliminating redundant/outdated bureaucracies with getting rid of federal government is pretty ridiculous.

If you're going to respond by saying "I've got a bunch of conservative friends on social who are always shooting their mouths off about getting rid of the federal government," then that's fine, but I'd venture to say almost none of them really mean it. A few might think they mean it but would pretty quickly qualify their statement after a couple of questions.

Fair enough. It is a different thing to be against the perceived abuses/misuses and then over generalize, than to legitimately be for the demolition/dissolution of an entire agency.