I voted this up after reading the first half - I disagree with the second half. It might appear that way sometimes, but it's wrong - pharmaceutical companies do

I voted this up after reading the first half - I disagree with the second half. It might appear that way sometimes, but it's wrong - pharmaceutical companies do a mix of billions of dollars in research (most of which never pans out), and also provide exits/buy-outs for smaller labs who make a discovery, which stimulates innovation as well. Some rent seeking, yes, too much, maybe, but pharmaceuticals have been on balance one of the most wealth creating industries over the last 20 years. Azithromicin alone was worth the $120 before it went generic, and now you can get it for dirt cheap. People laugh and joke about things like Viagra, but it's helped a lot of people, especially as we're all living longer now. All sorts of other things. Pharmaceutical and medical research companies are amazing.