[Random-bits] Pharmalot - Should The US Invade Thailand?

[James Love]

http://pharmalot.com/2007/04/should_the_us_invade_thailand.php

Pharmalot - Should The US Invade Thailand?
April 26, 2007

Should The US Invade Thailand?
No one is suggesting such a move, at least not yet. But the rhetoric  
over the controversy between the Thai military government and big  
pharma is getting pretty hot.

A conservative group, USA for Innovation, has been issuing press  
releases all week urging the White House and Congress to get tough  
with Bangkok. The group's founder and executive director is Ken  
Adelman, a current member of the Defense Policy Board, which advises  
the US Defense Secretary. He's also a senior counselor at Edelman  
Public Relations, whose clients include Abbott Labs, which  
intensified the row with Thailand by threatening to withhold new meds  
from the country after a compulsory license was issued for its  
Kaletra AIDS drug.

Today, USA for Innovation took its message to the public,  
particularly investors, and paid for a full-page ad in The Wall Sreet  
Journal imploring Washington to "take retaliatory action in the form  
of trade or economic sanctions or the removal of military aid."

Haggling is never easy and posturing is part of the game. So far,  
though, Abbott doesn't have much to show for its hard-line stance. Of  
course, the flap is nowhere near its end, and Abbott may yet gain  
something from playing hardball. The drugmaker has that right. On the  
other hand, all this public saber rattling appears a wee bit  
inflammatory, given that the US Trade Rep has acknowledged Thailand  
hasn't violated world trade rules.

So Ken, even if sanctions are issued, what happens if that doesn't  
work? Will you ask Johnny to get his gun?

Here's the press release with the full text of the ad; http:// 
usaforinnovation.org/news/display_article.cfm?ID=20
A list of the group's press releases;  http://usaforinnovation.org/ 
home/index.cfm
A little something about Ken Adelman; http://usaforinnovation.org/ 
about/display_about.cfm?id=8
A snapshot of Edelman PR. http://www.odwyerpr.com/pr_firms_database/ 
prfirm_detail.htm?prid=%7BACFF8E63-A98F-4765-9373-288B524C24FB%7D

Posted by Ed Silverman


---------------------------------
James Packard Love
Knowledge Ecology International
mailto:james.love@keionline.org
tel. +1.202.332.2670 / mobile+1.202.361.3040

"If everyone thinks the same: No one thinks."  Bill Walton"