The importance of separating the roles of public and private sectors (see here for ruminations on this topic) is brightly illuminated in this story about Rep. Tom Marino (R-PA) withdrawing his name from consideration as the Administration’s Drug Czar on Maddowblog:
The Post reported that as the opioid crisis intensified, Congress “effectively stripped the Drug Enforcement Administration of its most potent weapon against large drug companies suspected of spilling prescription narcotics onto the nation’s streets.” The point of the measure was to “weaken aggressive DEA enforcement efforts against drug distribution companies that were supplying corrupt doctors and pharmacists who peddled narcotics to the black market.”Leading the way was Tom Marino, a Republican congressman from Pennsylvania, who was the beneficiary of generous contributions from the drug industry.
And while many members of Congress are responsible for voting Yes, as well as President Obama for signing it, I think it’s important to recognize that, at its point of entry into the Congressional body, this is essentially corruption. By this I don’t mean that Marino was bribed, but he was, to use an old metaphor, carrying water for these drug distribution companies, no doubt in order to ensure future contributions from them.
And that’s not his role.
Look, safeguarding the public, in this case from the consequences of its own ignorance, is the role of Congress; guaranteeing the profits of any particular industry is absolutely not.
But even more importantly, consider the underlying moral topography. Rep. Marino, an avid Trump supporter, or at least obedient to GOP party dictates with a Trump Score as of this writing of 95.3%, is presumably of a conservative religious bent (see here for some info on his civil rights stances, such as being anti-same sex marriage), and yet he chose to introduce a bill that would restrict the government from pursuing those who are indulging in illegal activities. On success, a baffling, tragic epidemic intensifies.
All for the sake of greater industry profits.
This confusion of societal & moral imperatives, or perhaps ignorance of, has real consequences, in this case measured in the lives lost to the drugs that should have been restricted to those with a legitimate need. All because Marino didn’t do his job – he didn’t undertake to study his role seriously.
Perhaps he’ll be restricted from Congress at the next elections.
