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Ventilator Shortage, Blame Capitalism

calamity

calamity

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Hmm...sometimes we kill ourselves. And, when it comes to unfettered capitalism, we do it in plain sight.

The U.S. Tried to Build a New Fleet of Ventilators. The Mission Failed.

The plan was to build a large fleet of inexpensive portable devices to deploy in a flu pandemic or another crisis.

Money was budgeted. A federal contract was signed. Work got underway.

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And then things suddenly veered off course. A multibillion-dollar maker of medical devices bought the small California company that had been hired to design the new machines. The project ultimately produced zero ventilators.
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What happened? Capitalism.

Covidien — a publicly traded company with sales of $12 billion that year — already sold traditional ventilators, but that was only a small part of its multifaceted businesses. In 2012 alone, Covidien bought five other medical device companies, in addition to Newport.

Newport executives and government officials working on the ventilator contract said they immediately noticed a change when Covidien took over. Developing inexpensive portable ventilators no longer seemed like a top priority.
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And the rest, as they say, is history.
 
we can dismiss this. no point in responding or entertaining it.
 
From your article:
It wasn’t until last July that the F.D.A. signed off on the new Philips ventilator, the Trilogy Evo. The government ordered 10,000 units in December, setting a delivery date in mid-2020.
As the extent of the spread of the new coronavirus in the United States became clear, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, revealed on March 15 that the stockpile had 12,700 ventilators ready to deploy. The government has since sped up maintenance to increase the number available to 16,660 — still fewer than a quarter of what officials years earlier had estimated would be required in a moderate flu pandemic.
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So, as of March 15 there was a stockpile of 12,700 ventilators ready to deploy but, they we still awaiting delivery of the Trilogy Evo ventilators. I think it might all narrow down to greed, the company evidently did not think the ventilators profitable enough and the FDA took too long to approve them to begin with. I view the FDA's part as greed also, while they are tasked with making sure a product is safe for the public to use the often research it to death, even when an emergency takes place. My personal take on the FDA is that they ensure their jobs and income with overly anal examining of products that other nations have already been using successfully.

So ignoring them, how about highlighting the Americans that are stepping up to help of their own accord? Just as in WWII when companies switched from building washing machines to parts for airplanes, others have now stepped into to build ventilators.

Ford joins Tesla and GM in helping with ventilator and mask supply

Ford has announced it’s working with 3M and General Electric to make the kinds of ventilators and masks that are currently in short supply as the world battles the novel coronavirus pandemic. The company joins other carmakers like Tesla and General Motors in helping out the medical community, after idling their automotive plants due to the effects the pandemic is having on both consumer demand and the global supply chain.
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General Motors announced on Friday that it was partnering with ventilator manufacturer Ventec Life Systems and offering the company help with manufacturing, logistics, and purchasing issues to increase its output.

Tesla was able to buy what CEO Elon Musk said were surplus ventilators from China. The company handed more than 1,000 of them over to the state of California on Monday. Musk and Tesla also sent some 50,000 3M-made N95 surgical masks to the University of Washington’s Medical Center.

Other companies like Apple and Facebook are also donating hundreds of thousands of masks to health care workers across the country.
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There are numerous companies small to large the are helping in every way they can, from restaurants who rather than just quit are handing out free meals, to fabric companies switching to make masks. Local companies like Harbor Freight are giving their all to help.
Harbor Freight says donated items will include the companies entire stock of N95 masks, face shields and 45 million pairs of protective gloves. "Everything was pulled off our shelves. Everything that's in the warehouse is all going to local hospitals with 24-hour emergency rooms because that is where the most good for everyone in the community," Hoffman says.
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Tons of good people doing all they can and asking for nothing in return. Which reminds me, could not help but notice your new sig.
 
Sabre said:
From your article:


So, as of March 15 there was a stockpile of 12,700 ventilators ready to deploy but, they we still awaiting delivery of the Trilogy Evo ventilators. I think it might all narrow down to greed, the company evidently did not think the ventilators profitable enough and the FDA took too long to approve them to begin with. I view the FDA's part as greed also, while they are tasked with making sure a product is safe for the public to use the often research it to death, even when an emergency takes place. My personal take on the FDA is that they ensure their jobs and income with overly anal examining of products that other nations have already been using successfully.

So ignoring them, how about highlighting the Americans that are stepping up to help of their own accord? Just as in WWII when companies switched from building washing machines to parts for airplanes, others have now stepped into to build ventilators.

Ford joins Tesla and GM in helping with ventilator and mask supply




There are numerous companies small to large the are helping in every way they can, from restaurants who rather than just quit are handing out free meals, to fabric companies switching to make masks. Local companies like Harbor Freight are giving their all to help.


Tons of good people doing all they can and asking for nothing in return. Which reminds me, could not help but notice your new sig.
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Yeah, most people will not be helped much by $1200. Ironically, many of us getting it x2 are not even in need. But, I do plan to cash that check when it arrives.
 
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calamity said:
Yeah, most people will not be helped much by $1200. Ironically, many of us getting it x2 are not even in need. But, I do plan to cash that check when it arrives.
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So you hate Trump but not enough to refuse government money huh. Now we know the rest of the story.
 
Condor060 said:
So you hate Trump but not enough to refuse government money huh. Now we know the rest of the story.
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Contrary to Right Wing fantasies, Trump is not the US government. He is only it's used car salesman, an empty suit if ever there was one.

BTW: I am no libertarian. Why would I not cash a government check? I say, "Send me more!"

I've certainly paid enough in to finally see some coming back.
 
Well, communism has proven to be a failure.
 
calamity said:
Contrary to Right Wing fantasies, Trump is not the US government. He is only it's used car salesman, an empty suit if ever there was one.

BTW: I am no libertarian. Why would I not cash a government check? I say, "Send me more!"

I've certainly paid enough in to finally see some coming back.
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Uh huh
 
calamity said:
Contrary to Right Wing fantasies, Trump is not the US government. He is only it's used car salesman, an empty suit if ever there was one.

BTW: I am no libertarian. Why would I not cash a government check? I say, "Send me more!"

I've certainly paid enough in to finally see some coming back.
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I think the image of Trump as a used car salesman is fitting, especially considering how much I can see he has in common with Cobra Commander (granted, a fictional figure, and only referring to CC from the comics/cartoons, not the new movies universe). (For those unfamiliar, Cobra Commander was a used car salesman.)

They both are inexplicably able to convince a lot of people how they are right, regardless of the facts. Neither is really that intelligent (not morons though, just not cream of the crop), yet expect everyone to believe they are, say they are, who works for them. They are both brilliant almost exclusively at being salesman of their ideas for power, massing so much of it without even being able to lay down a coherent plan. They are both heavily narcissistic, CC described as a megalomaniac often, which could easily fit Trump as well.

And apparently I'm not the only one who sees it.

COBRA COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF — Hal Hefner

Sent from my SM-N970U using Tapatalk
 
There is good and bad Capitalism just as there is good (Scandinavia) and bad Socialism (Cuba, Venenzuela).

Capitalism is just a tool. But on the average it works a lot better than Socialism does.
 
Good4Nothin said:
Capitalism isn't perfect. So what is the perfect system you propose? Huge governments and their agencies? Their crystal balls will always work perfectly?
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A smart balance, like all those other developed nations of the world, all of them are doing better than us right now. Gives a whole new meaning to the term American exceptionalism.

“I am not for big government. I am not for small government. I am for smart government.”
-Barack Obama
 
eman623 said:
There is good and bad Capitalism just as there is good (Scandinavia) and bad Socialism (Cuba, Venenzuela).

Capitalism is just a tool. But on the average it works a lot better than Socialism does.
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Capitalism is like the gas pedal on your car. Just because it’s good doesn’t mean you should never have a brake pedal or a steering wheel.
 
Athanasius68 said:
So what explains the problems in Italy or Spain?
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Ah, so you agree the US is a ****hole like Italy and Spain. Got it.

Me, I look to South Korea and Germany as countries I'd like us to be more like. But, then again, I do not send thoughts and prayers when the lights go out.
 
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