Eliteworld in India By Joost van Steenis

Amsterdam, May 1 2007

Dear reader, this is the 85th Letter of an Autonomous Thinker

"The newly-rich middle class is retreating rapidly in its own private world of private schools, private transport, private water and private electricity" (Hindustan Times April 13 2007).

Those people "who live in a world of air-conditioned offices and state-of-the-art-gadgetry" are different from masspeople "who belong to the world of the second-class train traveler, the two-km trek to a school and the long queues for water."

The highest Indian elite lives an even more exclusive life. In a developing country like India elite- and massworld can be clearly distinguished. But also the Western world is divided in two parts, a safe and prosperous eliteworld and an often harsh massworld .

When masspeople acknowledge that there are two worlds, their political activity will change. So-called democratic actions (including elections) improve the life of masspeople only a little while the big differences between elite and masses continue to exist.

They will more and more use Direct Action against those elitepersons who regulate the subordination of the majority of humans that live in the massworld.

The first and most important goal of the leading elite is the preservation of the private and superior eliteworld. What happens to the masses is of minor importance.

The elitist goal can be made less attractive when the superior eliteworld becomes less attractive, when elitepersons realise they cannot anymore live the comfortable life they lived before.

Therefore actions should not be carried out in the working sphere of leaders but in their living sphere.

Democracy only has influence in the massworld. The elite escapes any democratic regulations in its own world with its own schools, houses, electricity, water, art, hotels, transport, holiday places etc.

By invading the eliteworld masspeople can bring the situation nearer In which elitepeople cannot live anymore in an exclusive, separate and prosperous eliteworld.

Then the road is open to a united world, a New World in which all people will have equal status, a New World in which all people will have the same power.

Yours truly, Joost van Steenis
http://members.chello.nl/jsteenis
New ways to increase masspower

Did Abraxis BioScience instruct AstraZeneca to use illegal marketing By Peter Rost

... in their quest to increase sales?


In a February 2007 press release, Abraxis BioScience reported record revenue of $765 million in 2006 versus $521 million for 2005. They made that money selling a new version of an old cancer drug at $4,200 per dose.


That new drug is called Abraxane and it has pushed Abraxis BioScience stock from $5 in 2002 to $27 in 2007. The lofty stock price has made Abraxis CEO and Chairman, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong a billionaire; Dr. Soon-Shiong owns 84 percent of the stock, today worth about $3.8 billion.


Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong has been criticized for hyping his research results and he has been accused of ripping off investors. Even his own brother, an early backer, sued him for fraud and fired him—twice—from the company they started. Their fight lasted two years and destroyed their relationship. But in the end, it is Dr. Soon-Shiong who has prevailed.


Today, Dr. Soon-Shiong is making money hand over fist. After all, his “new” drug costs 25 times more than an older, generic version (paclitaxel). There is, however, little difference between the new drug and older therapy; in fact, they both use the same active molecule. The only difference is that in Abraxane paclitaxel is bound to a protein, to make it easier to inject. And Abraxane doesn’t help patients live longer than the old, generic, version of the drug.
It is also noteworthy that an independent review article of Abraxane and similar drugs in “Annals of Oncology” concluded, “do these agents represent anything more than old wine in a new bottle? With currently available data, we have to say, ‘not really’.”


So how has Abraxis BioScience been able to sell so much of a drug that isn’t really much better than the old version and how has Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong been able to get so rich?
Some AstraZeneca oncology sales reps think they have part of the answer. They claim that those rapidly escalating sales may have been built upon off-label marketing.


AstraZeneca co-promotes Abraxane with Abraxis BioScience, and those sales representatives claim that at a joint sales meeting between AstraZeneca and Abraxis, which took place in December 2006 in Pittsburg, things went awfully wrong.


The meeting was led by AstraZeneca Regional Sales Director Mike Zubillaga, who has since been terminated by AstraZeneca, together with an Abraxis Medical Science Liaison (MSL) and two District Sales Managers; one from Abraxis and one from AstraZeneca.


Eight AstraZeneca oncology sales reps and eight Abraxis reps participated in the training, and they received the assistance of a whopping seven oncologists, who made some extra cash, tutoring the sixteen sales reps.


According to some of those AstraZeneca sales reps, the Abraxis Medical Science Liaison made it known that the Abraxis MSLs were available for off-label discussions (such as lung cancer) with oncology doctors, and that the AstraZeneca reps should use them as a resource. Then the Abraxis District Sales Manager allegedly pointed out that coordination of these meetings should be done by cell phone only, and that email or voicemail should be avoided.
If these allegations are true, this all sounds very familiar.


In May 2004, Pfizer’s subsidiary Warner-Lambert paid a $430 million fine for off-label promotion of Neurontin. The Department of Justice stated that Warner-Lambert “utilized "Medical Liaisons," who represented themselves (often falsely) as scientific experts in a particular disease, to promote off-label uses for Neurontin.”


And the sales efforts for Abraxane are clearly paying off. Over 20,000 people have been treated with Abraxane, and sales are expected to reach $1 billion by 2010.


But that may not be how things play out.


Because those concerned AstraZeneca sales reps who participated in the meeting with Abraxis BioScience didn’t stay silent.

I’ve been thinking about postscripts By Fred Cederholm

Column for on/after April 15th

I’ve been thinking about postscripts. Actually I’ve been thinking about the landfill, criteria/ stipulations, the advisory committee, Shaw Environmental/ mitigating factors, the eastern 88 acres, the CCOC, and the Rochelle City Council. This past Wednesday the Rochelle City Council, sitting as the siting authority, approved the application for the expansion of the landfill located between the Village of Creston and the City of Rochelle. This was a highly controversial matter which has been passionately dividing our communities for a decade now. From the onset of this go-around, I was frequently asked if I was going to do a column on it – my response was always: “not until it’s over.” So… here are my thoughts and how I feel about the outcome because "it's over."

You see we have witnessed a truly remarkable process whereby everyone was given their full opportunity to listen to the professional presentations and make their personal comments known to one and all. I was amazed (and proud) of how courteous and thought provoking the hearings/ commentaries proceeded. I shouldn’t have been because we have a lot of good people here who are proud of their community and have valid concerns. Nobody (myself included) really “wants” a waste depository in their backyard, but refuse disposal is a fact of life in our consumptive society. I feel, however, that in all honesty I can both accept and live-with the decision reached by the Rochelle City Council for the reasons which follow.

It is difficult enough to get any landfill, or any landfill expansion, approved by meeting the nine criteria mandated the State of Illinois and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. To these the Rochelle City Council added thirty-seven more conditions and requirements; thirty-two of the additional requisites apply to Criteria two (Health and Safety) alone. These show that the Council have raised the bar - placing far more caveats and conditions on themselves and the City Manager than any other group in the State who ever sought such a facility. This puts teeth in what Ken Alberts described as being a good neighbor. An independent five-person “Landfill Advisory Committee” is also a requirement.

The professionals of Shaw Environmental gave a detailed presentation at the hearing as to the containment features of their design. They will also be a part of the construction phase; supervising every step of that construction. Their design is far more involved than the two predecessors, and would more than meet all the state-of-the-art containment mandates WITHOUT considering the mitigating factors of that layer of red hard-pan clay which naturally is part of the proposed location. This clay has been both a blessing and a curse for anyone building a residence in Creston before the advent of our recent sewer system. It was the driving force behind Creston’s initial industry – the brick and tile works in the 1800’s. There are also specific guarantees in place for Creston’s present (and future) water wells.

This current proposal was well below half the capacity of the height and footprint from the initial proposal. The 40 acres of the Babson farm, plus the 88 acres acquired from the Village of Creston, have been precluded (by specific stipulation) from ANY future expansion. Developing the eastern 88 acres as a permanent industrial park is currently one proposal under consideration for the use of that land. This would clearly provide a buffer for the new home construction anticipated to the Southwest of Creston.

Those members of the Rochelle City Council - sitting as members of the siting authority and those of the Concerned Citizens of Ogle County (CCOC) are all very good people and can take a great deal of pride over what transpired these past months. Some of them I know personally - and have for years; others I know only by reputation. They all take a sincere interest in this community, or they wouldn’t have subjected themselves to such a long and costly process. All respected our system of representative democracy as well as the public’s right to protest and speak out (or speak up). Face it, this was a hard decision - you’re damned by some if you do and you’re damned if you don’t by others. What I do know is that every effort was made to keep the public in the loop, to make available reams of data/information, and to give each and every person a chance to speak. Given the parties involved (and what is at stake), I have every expectation that this waste depository will become THE model, and set THE standard for the entire State of Illinois. I’m Fred Cederholm and I’ve been thinking. You should be thinking, too.

Copyright 2007 Questions, Inc. All rights reserved.

asklet@rochelle.net

I’ve been thinking about second-comings By Fred Cederholm

Column for on/after April 8th

I’ve been thinking about second-comings. Actually I’ve been thinking about Easter Week, Putin, Pelosi diplomacy/ the “UK 15,” the Creston Opera House, and the Rochelle News Leader. The observances of Easter Week commemorate Jesus the Christ's suffering, death and resurrection, and mark the climax of the Christian calendar. It is a time when we Christians focus on the darkness in the world and the light of the Easter resurrection. It was a time to contemplate hope, a re-birth, second comings, and the promise of better things coming on the horizon.

You see, this past week before Easter Sunday I participated in my normal round of observances with one “not-so-religious” activity – but even that had its roots within the intentions of “staging a comeback.” The week began Monday evening with my being a guest of my friends, the Cook family, in their special Witness observance of Nissan 14 at Kingdom Hall. On Good Friday I attended the evening service at St. Johns Lutheran Church. Easter Sunday, I attended both the sunrise service and the regular communion service at St. Johns and I spent the afternoon visiting with my aunt and uncle. The message of Easter figured predominately in my thoughts throughout all activities and also in my daily review of news worthy events as I surfed the web – giving me a renewed sense of optimism about things to come.

Last week, the Russian government announced it would hand back land that was seized from the Russian Orthodox Church after the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917. Since coming to power, Russian President Putin has not tried to conceal his Russian Orthodox beliefs. He was not always religious, but recent images have shown him lighting candles at the Vatican and praying at the edge of the Jordan River. These acts in-and-of-themselves may not seem like a big deal, but taken in the context of the promise of Easter represent a huge step in a positive direction. On Easter Sunday, Putin attended the service at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in central Moscow. These events were not covered here.

Diplomacy is frequently described as “the art of the possible.” The last week’s fact finding mission, which took new Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to Israel, Syria, and Saudi Arabia, can only be regarded as a step in the right direction and a renewal (or second-coming) of diplomacy to the Middle East. The seizure of the “UK 15” by Iran had only escalated tensions there. Then… as if by some miracle, the Iranian government pardoned the British captives and returned them home to their families on Good Friday. While it’s not possible to directly equate the Pelosi mission with the release of the hostages, the peaceful discussions certainly couldn’t have hurt. The highly speculated “Operation Bite” was diffused – at least for now. This, too, should be taken as a positive step in the right direction.

On Maundy Thursday, I volunteered for the Creston Booster Clubs fourth (and final) charitable games casino of 2007 to help raise money for the restoration of Creston’s 19^th Century Opera House. (I know what you’re TH*NK*NG and you’re right, MEA CULPA!) This was the fourth year that we have worked through Rockford Charitable Games holding up to four events on our special license from the State at various locations in Northern Illinois. “Staging a comeback” to bring the Booster Hall (aka the Creston Opera House) up to code and to make it a community center available for various activities has proven quite a project and very costly, but we will have something truly special when we are done. We are clearly beginning to see progress as we commence putting things back together – hallelujah.

On an even higher note, Easter Sunday marked the first availability of the on-line edition of the Rochelle News-Leader, my official local publication of record. This is fantastic news and marks the birth (or second-coming) of a great local resource for news and information which we subscribers to the print edition already enjoy. Now, my weekly columns can have the supplemental: To “audit” this column and to learn more about the subjects discussed – which appears at the other on-line web portals which carry my column weekly. I’ve already signed up and completed my own personal profile. I don’t TH*NK so much personal information about me appears anywhere else, or ever has. Please sign up and definitely check it out. I’m Fred Cederholm and I’ve been thinking. You should be thinking, too.

Copyright 2007 Questions, Inc. All rights reserved.

To “audit” this column and to learn more about the subjects discussed:

Pope starts Easter, Says Love Trumps Evil, Death

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldNews&storyid=2007-04-07T234747Z_01_L07685604_RTRUKOC_0_US-EASTER-POPE.xml&src="rss&";rpc=22

Putin's personal faith raising questions

http://www.speroforum.com/site/article.asp?idarticle=8860

Pelosi Defends 'Message' of Middle East Trip

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9434802

Who will bite first, the U.S. or Iran?

http://en.rian.ru/analysis/20070405/63158196.html

Rockford Charitable Games

http://www.rockfordcharitablegames.com/

The " S " Words By SB Kayser

April 9, 2007

This essay will examine the gigantic failure of worldwide credit welfare as a centerpiece, and why it can easily be associated with modern-day Serfdom. Hence the " S " word as the title reads. Yet many Westerners would agree that slavery is intolerable and must be dealt with. Alas those asking for action generally ignore that in the 1850s a slave went for the equivalent of 40,000 present dollars while today a slave often cost under $100 as Dr Kevin Bales stresses in his video- documentary "Disposable People, New Slavery In The Global Economy" . The latter also states that the number of slaves worldwide represent the largest number alive at one any time in history. Unfortunately there is more. Over the last century, slavery has taken a new turn concludes The National Geographic: There are more slaves today than were seized from Africa in four centuries of the trans-Atlantic slave trade... Although slavery in its traditional form survives in many parts of the world, debt slavery of this kind, with variations, is the most common form of servitude today...


Despite two major studies made in the 1990s which came to the conclusion that the poor have to sweat doubly, so that the wealthy might live on interest. All this usurious infusion of cash began at the bottom of the pyramid and made its way up slowly to the middle-class (due to the eroding purchasing power, itself caused by a hidden tax called inflation) leaving an ever increasing number of households at the mercy of lenders whose appetite to lend grew accordingly. Today as a result, the middle class is no longer the pillar of the economy but its doom...

more:
http://www.moneyfiles.org/sbk02.html
or
http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_sb_kayse_070409_the__22_s__22_word.htm

Pfizer's $35 million fine: Equivalent to a speeding ticket By Peter Rost

How much money is the $35 million criminal fine Pfizer was forced to pay this week for illegal marketing of Genotropin??

Last year Pfizer's profit was $11 billion.

But that profit doesn't include all the additional profit Pfizer is hiding in off-shore tax havens.

The New York Times in 2005 described a new tax break for corporations, part of the American Jobs Creation Act, signed into law by President Bush, which allowed companies a one-year window to return foreign profits to the United States at a 5.25 percent tax rate, compared with the standard 35 percent rate. The New York Times went on to state "Pfizer . . . will repatriate at least $28 billion under the act."

Obviously, the $11 billion profit is just a fraction of Pfizer's real profit, but let's use that number anyway.

$11 billion translates into nearly $35 million in profit EVERY DAY.
So the $35 million criminal fine was equivalent to one day's profit.

Let's put that in perspective: If you make $50,000 a year, that means you earn $137 every day. That is equivalent to a regular speeding ticket.
Did a speeding ticket ever stop you from speeding again?

I’ve been thinking about credit By Fred Cederholm

Column for on/after April 1st

I’ve been thinking about credit. Actually I’ve been thinking about accountability, Luca Pacioli, compliments/ insults, Orwell’s opposites, sub-prime borrowers, and foreclosures. “We’ve trouble, folks, right here in River City - with a capital P (payments) that rhymes with C (and THAT stands for Credit).”

You see, for months there have been rumblings in the distance that there are financial problems brewing on the horizon for many American households. It is only recently that the mainstream print and broadcast media have begun to herald any forthcoming problems. This should come as NO surprise since virtually every month for the past decade outstanding debt has broached new record levels. We as a nation have been seduced by a deluge of pre-approved credit cards, a flood of ever-so-tempting home equity loans, and a marketing onslaught of buy-now and pay-later sales promotions. Given how interest rates were cheap and (in many cases) the annual percentage rates (APR’s) on Credits were below “acknowledged” rates of inflation, this was like “free money.” Rollovers ruled, and any thoughts of eventual accountability were “back-burnered” into obscurity, or oblivion.

As a CPA, CFE, and forensic accountant, I marvel at how the most basic concepts of accounting and accountability are not understood by the bulk of the populace one bit. Numbers and math are so often considered the boring focus of geeks - far from it. If you put a dollar sign in front of the numbers, you might pick up some more attention, but still probably not a whole lot. However, when those dollar- denominated numbers appear on a past due notice, a garnishment, or the notice of foreclosure (or repossession) because of delinquency arrears; they finally receive their just attention. It is only when the modern wonders of the compounding of interest, fines, and penalties come home to roost; that the full ramifications of them are finally understood on the individual or household level - then… it’s too late.

There is an underlying simplicity (and beauty) to accounting for anything. At the heart of it all is that “debits must equal credits, debits increase assets - while credits reduce them, and credits increase liabilities - while debits reduce them.” We can thank the Franciscan friar/ cleric Luca Pacioli for creating this miraculous system of account balancing around 1494, a couple years after Chris Columbus had set sail. The world was never the same, but how many people really appreciate and acknowledge this revolution in accountability. If anything, they have gotten it completely backwards!

How many times have you said to somebody that you were giving them “credit” for something – and meant it to be a compliment? Now… TH*NK about that in terms of the original and ongoing “Pacioli usage” where you are really insulting them. I mean… you are effectively wishing their assets be diminished, and their liabilities be increased. Some friend you are, right? This is perhaps the original example of a doublespeak of opposites with which we are most familiar from George Orwell’s 1984: where the Ministry of Love was really the Ministry of Hate, the Ministry of Peace was really the Ministry of War, and the Ministry of Truth was … you get the picture. Give me “debit” for that, ok?

When we receive those bulk mailings, when we receive those telemarketing calls, and/or when we see those commercials hawking pre-approved credit cards, mortgage debt refinancing, and/or debt consolidations; they may be giving us Credit, but they are not giving us “credit” in any positive sense of the term. I find it absolutely incredible to TH*NK how when you find yourself stuck in hole, there are far more out there who are willing to provide you with a shovel, than a rope.

In recent years, the terms sub-prime borrower/ sub-prime lender have entered our vocabularies. Talk about yet another example of a doublespeak opposite. In banking/finance “prime” is a term of art meaning highest quality. In the extreme, it means “we are more than happy to lend to you, because you really don’t need the money.” “Sub-prime” doesn’t mean not-quite-prime by any means. The epidemic of “sub-prime” defaults has brought down how many mega-lenders since the first of this year alone?

Escalating foreclosure stats are now a daily topic of news and commentary from virtually every section of the nation. This trend can only continue well into the years ahead as these misguided policies of the past unravel and unwind. I believe in giving full Credit to where “credit” is due – and I don’t mean that as a compliment. I’m Fred Cederholm and I’ve been thinking. You should be thinking, too.

Copyright 2007 Questions, Inc. All rights reserved.

asklet@rochelle.net