People with HIV/AIDS lose as drug companies gain

Salih Booker and Ann-Louise Colgan of Africa Action wrongly accuse drug companies and the U.S government of denying Africans access to antiretroviral treatment by placing profits over human life. If Booker and Colgan find our free market system deplorable I suggest they get their drugs from the thriving pharmaceutical industry in Cuba where profits are illegal. Oh that's right, Cuba doesn't have any thriving industries. Coincidence?

After submitting this letter I discovered Cuba does have a thriving pharmaceutical industry. It's based on stealing the patents of legitimate companies and counterfeiting the drugs. Although I don't state it in my letter, my definition of thriving industries would not include criminal enterprises based on stolen intellectual property.

[Letter to the Editor - Detroit Free Press - Published 12/08/2005]