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The best counterexample I can think of is the unwillingness of drug companies to produce new, narrow-spectrum antibiotics. We're facing a looming crisis of bact
by kieselguhr_kid 5y ago
The best counterexample I can think of is the unwillingness of drug companies to produce new, narrow-spectrum antibiotics. We're facing a looming crisis of bacterial antibiotic immunity, we know that producing the aforementioned antibiotics will resolve it, but the low profit margins prevent pharmaceutical companies from doing research.
Capitalism pursues profit growth, not human need. There may be some correlation between these two forces but it's obviously not perfect.
- ridaj 5y agoYes this is a more plausible example of needed regulation to align capitalistic incentives on societally beneficial outcomes (vs cat UTI research)
- ryathal 5y agoThere isn't money in narrow spectrum antibiotics, because there isn't need yet. We don't have infinite resources, so putting effort into a looming, but not yet existing crisis can very easily lead to worse outcomes.