Nexus - 0213 - New Times Magazine-pages

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The Pharmaceutical Drug Racket forcing health care costs to double, a leading health expert claims. Dr Ron Williams says the public health care system is facing a bleak future because governments can no longer afford to fund it. And as they are forced to sell off hos- pitals to private interests, American cor- orations will step in and take over, leaving ordinary Australians unable to afford skyrocketing health care costs. "| see little but doom and gloom," says Dr Williams, who has spent 11 years researching the Australian and American health care systems. "| wish | could say that if we ail ulled together we could avert the com- ing brutality... but today's reality is that for the health industry, compassion will give way at an increasing rate to prof- th... “As public hospitals are sold to pri- vates, and as nursing homes join nation- al chains, as nurses move out of govern- ment employment on to contract, as individual doctors lose ever more con- trol over their practices no government will say that the processes it is promot- ing might lead to disaster." [Emphasis added. Continued from page 64 because of deals made over its head and campaign train. The American behind its back in the White House and Presidents, unless they want to end up other corridors of power...'* like John Kennedy, do not rule their ‘The oil lobby, perhaps the most power- country anymore than the official gov- ful lobby on earth, is almost matched by ernments of the other so-called democ- _ hospital owners and doctors." - President racies, for the big boys in industry and Carter, 1979." finance have long since taken over that Incidentally, in 1980, Exxon became task. . : America's largest corporation. Exxon is the Morris H. Rubin, editor and publisher of new name for the old Rockefeller Standard The Progressive, writes in an article in jl Trust. Jemary 1977: For a further insight on how the cartels "Corporate power has become the have tumed democracies into private oli- dominant force in our society... All garchies, the books Naked Empress by Hans attempts to check the ee Ruesch, ‘gd Nena Dore Col B Conspiracy of the corporate giants have failed. 5 (1971) by investigative journalist Gary Consider the two most important instru- 4 ments forged by the progressive forces ARN, Ree y coaicmeniee, of the country in their crusade to curb Australia's Health System Under the march of monopoly: the regulatory — Threat From US Corporations —_ ss Pr ane nan, i Because the Australian Government can bi pa ainty a Tee am- no longer afford to fund our ailing public dies, and the corporations witch were = health care system, privatisation is intended to be regulated in the public 5 avitable ‘A. major conbéen is ther the ruth- interest now dominate these regulatory ; = sider agencies. The betrayal of the public less US corporations will be the principal trust is virtually complete... The buyers. An article appearing in The Daily antitrust laws are virtually dead letters. it Telegraph Mirror (1 October, 1992), titled is clear from recent disclosures that the “US Giants Threat To Hospitals", reports: Antitrust Division of the Justice “Huge American corporations soon Department is almost immobilized will control Australia's public hospitals Vol 2, No 13 - 1993 NEXUS¢65 b5 Continued from page 64 Department is almost immobilized will control Australia's public hospitals 7 Continued on page 66 eee ,