USTR/PhRMA Conspiracy theory

[James Love <love@cptech.org>]

The following is taken from a note sent to me from a person in South
Africa.  It outlines a conspiracy theory regarding the positions
advanced by US government trade officials.  The author suggests
the PhRMA and lower level trade officials are deliberately trying
to embarrass Vice President Gore, and alienate key democratic
constituencies, in order to benefit a republican candidate
for president.  The views expressed in this message are not mine.
I have a different interpretation of events.  But they are
interesting nonetheless.  Jamie


<-------------begin message------------------------------->

  [snip]

As I consider what is happening with regard to SA, 301, and USTR I 
cannot help feeling that there is a deeper political current running 
though this.  After all the USA is on the eve of an election and 
Gore will need Afro-American vote as well as Hispanic votes etc.  
To some extent in this community the GSA is respected so why should 
Gore carry out an action that, if exposed, will compromise this group 
of voters?  Gore knows that 301 will not change GSA policy as Mbeki 
has made this clear.  So what is going on? I believe it may be as 
follows.  PHARMA and the multinational industry in general do not want 
the democrats to win nor do they want Gore to be President.  I have 
heard this often.  It may also be that some officials in USTR 
(especially those controlling IP) would also prefer to have a 
Republican President.  So if they push hard for conflict with the GSA 
on IP matters they cannot loose.  After all if they succeed with the 
GSA then PHARMA gains and if their attack on the GSA is exposed and 
considered unacceptable by Gore supporters then PHARMA also wins as 
Gore is blamed and the Gore campaign is weakened.

Now if this was my tactic and I was in PHARMA I would select some
officials in USTR that were known to be Republican supporters - perhaps 
previous appointed when the republicans were in power and use these 
officials to spread mis-information throughout the USG but with a 
particular focus on any officials appointed by democrats to USTR and 
any political appointment at USTR.  It would be critical that the 
political appointments for health, commerce or USTR would either have 
no information or mis-information so that these appointment support 
the PHARMA line.  Also  critical would be that they do not see that 
by supporting PHARMA's IP issues that the hidden objective of PHARMA 
is to weaken the democrats standing where ever and by what ever means 
it can.

The proof of this theory would be that Democratic political appointees
would in general be following USTR's line but without a detailed 
understanding of the real issues.  Also it would be the pre-democrat 
officials that will be driving the action in USTR.

   [snip]


-- 
James Love, Director, Consumer Project on Technology
I can be reached at love@cptech.org, by telephone 202.387.8030,
by fax at 202.234.5176. CPT web page is http://www.cptech.org