Shkreli simply lightning rod protecting real drug czars

Martin Shkreli, oft called the "most hated man in America" for raising the price of an Aids drug from $13.50 to $750 a dose, may not be quite so hated by the mega rich drug czars. One might surmise they'd be aghast at the attention Shkreli brings to the vastly overpriced US drug industry but the reverse may be true. Shkreli is so smirky, creepy actually, in his unbridled greed, he may actually direct much of the public outcry against overpriced drugs from the major drug CEOs to his easy to hate persona, leaving those real drug ogres relatively unscathed. Shkreli's drug footprint is so small, Aids drug Daraprin alone comes to mind, that Joe Sixpack simply can't relate his avarice to the truly heartless greed practiced by major pharmaceuticals. They spend hundreds of millions every year on TV demanding we demand our doctors write us prescriptions we don't need that imperil our overall health, even life. This is called 'direct to consumer' advertising and it's evil. The laundry list of serious, even deadly side effects is recited too fast for the human ear to comprehend. Those millions garner many billions in profits from overpriced drugs making America the world's worst advanced country in delivering true pharmaceutical health. And the brilliant CEO drug pushers pushing them reap obscene yearly compensation for their efforts. The top five in 2013 include:

Len Schleifer, Regaeneron, $41.2 million
Jeff Leiden, Vertex, $36.6 million 
Brent Sanders, Allegan $36.6 million
Martine Rothbllatt, United Therapies, $33.2 million
Lamberto Anndreotti, Brystal Myers $27.1 million

You won't find these truly greedy Shkreli's hauled before Congress to be pilloried by publicity seeking congressmen. They dare not imperil the source of massive campaign funds funneled to the similarly greedy lawmakers. But bear in mind the true words of progressive political economist Robert Reich: "What Shkreli did wrong was to be more audacious while playing the same game many others are playing on Wall Street and in corporate suites"

We can reduce this unconscionable greed and public health menace by banning 'direct to consumer' drug advertising which only became legal in 1997. Let's return to the days when 'Speedy Alka Seltzer' was the strongest drug pitchman on TV. As far as we know, Speedy never killed anyone...and drug czars couldn't afford too buy a congressman.