Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou

Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou

AN AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR HERO WHO LOST HIS HEAD

Joseph Warren was a leader in the early days of the fight for freedom. In the years leading up to the Revolutionary War, he was out in front as a protagonist. He died at the Battle of Bunker Hill early in the War.

Few today know of him. I did not till this past week when I came across a short story which mentioned him. Roused my curiosity. Motivated me to learn more about him.

He was a man!

Warren was born June 11, 1741. Died, June 17, 1775. His life short lived. Thirty four years. Much accomplished however during that time.

He was part of the fomenting years leading up to the Revolutionary War. Trained as a physician, he began his practice at the age of 22. In Boston.

Warren was considered a foremost physician. His patients from the upper crust. Men such as Samuel Adams, John Hancock, John Adams and John Quincy Adams.

Even prominent loyalists sought his professional services. His patients included the children of the Royal Governor Thomas Hutchinson, the British General Thomas Gage, and Gage's American born wife Margaret.

Warren used his medical practice to spy on the British. His wife had died. He became involved with General Gage's wife Margaret. Margaret provided Warren with advance notice of the planned British movement on Concord. Margaret being American born was disposed to the colonial cause. She was a constant source of information.

General Gage finally dealt with the Margaret problem. He put her on a British vessel and sent her off to Britain. She played no part in colonial matters thereafter.

Warren was a leader of the Sons of Liberty. A foremost patriot. As time went on, his patriot disposition became more apparent. Open and public.

There was a time he was a grave robber. As such, a member of Spunkers. Spunkers was a group of Harvard medical students who raided grave yards, jails and poor houses in search of bodies. Bodies that could be used for medical training purposes.

The Boston Massacre occurred in 1770. It became a rallying point for those opposed to British treatment of the colonists.

The Boston Massacre was commemorated each year thereafter. Warren twice spoke to two separate annual meetings.

The second such meeting took place on March 6, 1775. The meeting was held in the Old South Meeting House in Boston. The enemy was present. Hundreds of British officers and soldiers surrounded the building and were stationed inside.

The crowd of colonists spilled into the aisles.

Warren had no fear. He was a man of brass testicles. He appeared at the meeting dressed as Cato. A flowing white Roman toga. A symbol of democracy at the time.

Not intimidated, Warren delivered a rousing address.

Warren was the Masonic Grand Master of St. Andrew's Lodge of Freemasons. A big deal. The group met at the Green Dragon Tavern. The Tavern was considered the early headquarters for the Revolution.

Many of the Masons meeting were members of the Sons of Liberty. Paul Revere was one. Warren and Revere were best friends.

The Boston Tea Party did not go over well with King George III and Parliament. The colonists were considered upstarts who needed to be put in their place. Taught manners. Made to know who their uppers were.

Parliament passed the Intolerable Acts of 1774. The Acts suspended colonial government and closed the Port of Boston till payment was made in full for the lost tea.

No way the colonists would accept such submission. It was not part of their psyche. Warren in September 1774 drafted a radical set of resolutions in opposition for Suffolk County communities. Boston area communities. Titled the Suffolk Resolves.

The Suffolk Resolves stated, "No obedience is due" to the Intolerable Acts. The Resolves called for a boycott of British goods and for local militias to prepare for armed resistance.

The Suffolk Resolves were endorsed overwhelmingly by the Continental Congress. The British called the document "undoubtedly treasonable." 

Warren sensed fighting might take place soon. He sent Paul Revere on a five day ride to Philadelphia to warn of the possibility. This was not the famous Paul Revere ride. The "Listen my children and you shall hear of the midnight ride of Paul Revere." That was to come later.

The time did come later. Warren learned the British troops were preparing to cross the Charles River and march to Lexington. The British intended to arrest John Hancock and Samuel Adams. Then on to Concord to seize colonial munitions. Thank you, Margaret Gage.

Warren dispatched Paul Revere on the famous midnight ride. He sent Revere across the Charles River and into the surrounding country side. He dispatched William Dawes on the longer land route.

Boston was under siege following Lexington and Concord. The patriots needed cannons to give them the firepower to force the British out of Boston.

Where to get them? Benedict Arnold said, "I know." There were 80 canons at Fort Ticonderoga which at the time was under British control. The British force defending Ticonderoga was small. Arnold was confident he could over take the force and capture the cannons.

Warren gave Arnold approval to try. Arnold succeeded. The canons were a major help in evicting the British from Boston in March 1776.

Warren also served on the Boston Committee of Correspondence.

It was June 1775. Warren was supposed to be at a meeting of the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. Instead, he opted to fight in the Battle of Bunker Hill. Three days before, Warren had been appointed a Major General by the Massachusetts Provincial Congress.

Thirty four years old at the time.

When he arrived at the site of the battle, the two commanders already there wanted to turn command over to Warren since he outranked them. Warren had no battle field experience. He declined and asked where the toughest fighting was taking place. Breed's Hill. Warren grabbed a musket and went to Breed's Hill to fight as a private.

At this stage, it is important to understand how the British viewed the colonials. As traitors. They had opted to fight the mother land.

King George III stated that any colonials in arms against royal authority were traitors and to be treated as such. Death by hanging.

The British normally provided a trial first. Not in the colonies, however. For whatever reason, treason trials were not held. The colonials were either immediately hanged or sent to prisoner of war camps. 

Hanging might have been better. The colonials held in prisoner of war camps were maltreated. Brutally. Even beheadings. Torture common place. Much like the Japanese treatment of Allied prisoners of war during World War II.

More American sailors and soldiers died in prisoner camps than from combat itself.

British atrocities of colonials of either sex were commonplace. The British of Revolutionary days were not the nice guys of today. Traitors were scum and to be treated accordingly.

Having set the prevalent British mental attitude, we return to Warren at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Serving as a private at Breed's Hill.

The colonials bravely fought off the first two advances of the British. The third overwhelmed the colonials. 

Warren was out of ammunition. As his fellow colonials were withdrawing, Warren remained behind to fight off the British as best he could. He did not survive long.

British Lt. Lord Rawdon knew Warren. Most British did. As Rawdon came over a small hill, he found himself directly in front of Warren. Not more than a foot apart. Rowdan shot his musket at Warren's face. The bullet entered his forehead area and came out the back of his skull.

Rawdon neither liked nor respected Warren. Obviously. Otherwise, he would not have shot him.

Rawdon then proceeded to strip Warren's body of all clothing. Other British soldiers arrived. Warren's dead body was bayoneted till unrecognizable.

There was a shallow hole nearby. British Captain Walter Laurie pushed Warren's body into the hole together with a dead colonial farmer. Laurie recollected that as he pushed Warren into the grave, he "stuffed the scoundrel with another rebel into one hole, and there he and his seditious principles may remain."

Two days later, British Lt. James Drew went to the site. He opened the grave, spit on Warren's face, and then cut his head off. Following which Drew is reported to have committed every act of violence upon Warren's body.

Warren's head was left with his body in the shallow grave. Dirt thrown over.

Though respect was lacking for Warren by lower ranking British officers and soldiers, some higher ranking persons did think well of him for whatever reason. General Gage on learning of Warren's death said, "Warren's death is equal to the death of 500 men."

The British thought Warren's death would discourage the colonial cause. They were mistaken. Warren's death encouraged the revolutionary cause. He was viewed as a martyr.

Had Warren lived longer, he would have played a prominent role in the American revolution and the political life of the new nation thereafter.

Many historians of the era believe Warren would have achieved the summit of political life in the United States.

Note that nowhere is Washington's name mentioned. Turns out that at the time Warren was better known and perceived as a better leader than Washington. Loyalist Peter Oliver surmised in 1782 that if Warren had lived, George Washington would have been "an obscurity."

Ten months after Warren's death, Paul Revere and Warren's brothers exhumed Warren's body. A question arose. Which body was Warren's? The one without the head or the one with. Remember, Warren had been buried with a farmer.

Revere was known as a silversmith. He had other talents. He was a dentist of sorts. 

Warren had lost his left upper eye tooth. Revere had made an artificial tooth and secured it in Warren's mouth with a golden wire.

The body without the head was Warren's. As was the severed head. Therein lie the artificial tooth and golden wire.

Warren left four children. Penniless. His wife had died several years earlier. Warren was engaged at the time of his death. His fiancee Mercy Scolley took the children in and cared for them.

The issue of their education was a matter of concern. Where was the money to come from? His friends and the Continental Congress took care of the situation.

.

John Hancock, Samuel Adams, Mercy Oates Warren and Benedict Arnold assumed the responsibility together with the Continental Congress.

Edna St. Vincent Millay wrote several lines of poetry that many believe are referable to Joseph Warren: "My candle burns at both ends; it will not last the night; But ah, my foes and oh, my friends, it gives a lovely light!"

Too bad Joseph Warren's story is little known. At the very least, his life should be reflected in school history books. There is always room for one more American hero.

A Peek at the Truth

 We are not always told the truth. Some things bald face lies, other half truths. Many the figment of someone’s imagination. Truth buried for selfish purposes by those keeping truth in the dark.

This week’s column covers a few such items. Very few. A book could be written re the deceptions practiced on the public. Not possible here because of space limitations.

1. I have always enjoyed reading Op-Eds. Editorial opinions by corporate CEOs, governmental officials, retired respected political figures, retired military, etc. Top-of-the-line persons.

I was distressed recently to learn that Op-Eds are not generally written by the person whose name appears as author. The Op-Eds are written by public relations firms.

    

The most prominent firm is Keybridge Communications. Named after Francis Scott Key. I find this amusing because of the recent furor involving the Star Spangled Banner.

     

Keybridge was founded and is run by a former Wall Street Journal writer. It specializes in writing and placing Op-Eds. Keybridge’s clients include influential trade groups and global corporations.

     

Keybridge places 3,000 Op-Eds a year. 500 to 800 words. Cost $5,000 each. Guarantee provided. Op-Ed will appear in one or more newspapers with readership no less than 50,000.

     

The client and/or Keybridge itself find the “author.” Now that I know, I consider Op-Eds a deceptive practice.

     

2. Facebook owns Facebook. Does what it wants. Understandable. He who pays the fiddler calls the tune.

     

The most famous photo coming out of the Vietnam War was of nine- year-old Kim Phuc. The picture of a young girl running and crying down a street. Screaming. She was nude. Her napalmed genitals visible to the world.

     

I thought it outstanding. One of the best ways to evidence the horror of war is to show those affected by it.

     

The photo was recently shown on someone’s Facebook site. Facebook pulled the picture and comment. Facebook said it violated its prohibition on “nudity.”

     

A bad call from my perspective. I do believe Facebook has the right to decide what gets run. It is their website.

    

Some called Facebook’s action in this instance an abuse of power. I further disagree. It is Facebook’s shop and can do what they want. However, I think it was a stupid move on Facebook’s part. They should reconsider.

     

3. Wells Fargo has been in the news this past week. One of the nation’s largest banks. One that needed bailing out during mortgage crisis.

    

No one from Wells Fargo or any other bank went to jail for mortgage wrongdoing. We were told at the time by our government that the banks ...were too big too fail...too big to prosecute.

     

I thought it was bullshit then and think it bullshit now.

     

Wells Fargo has agreed to pay a $185 million fine for “widespread

illegal” sales practices. 5,300 employees involved. Management down the ladder of responsibility. All discharged.

     

Wells Fargo had a program encouraging employees to increase the bank’s business. For several years. The employees opened millions of bank and credit card accounts for existing customers without telling them. Purpose: To meet sales goals. Customers were billed with fees.

     

The bank also transferred funds from customer’s legitimate account to the phony one without telling the customer.

    

The banks got away with financial murder in 2008. They continue to get away with wrongdoing. Always on a gigantic scale. When caught, the punishment is always a civil fine. No one ever goes to jail.

    

I say forget the fines. Charge devious bankers criminally. Convict them. Throw them in jail.

It won’t take long for banks to stop screwing around with personal funds and taxpayer dollars.

    

Let CEOs and other high-ranking officials spend some time in jail. The chicanery will end immediately.

No one wants to do jail time.

We do not do it. Probably because the banks and lobbyists own what is supposed to be our Congress.

It was just reported that the Wells Fargo employee running the unit to increase sales retired in July. After 27 years service. At a time when Wells Fargo was working on finalizing the investigation and civil consent order. Her name, Carrie Tolstedt. A top echelon person. She walked away with a $124.6 million pay out. Which proves wrongdoing has its benefits. Perpetrating a fraud pays well.

    

4. This one does not make sense: FDA recently banned the anti-bacterial chemical triclosan from soap. However, FDA said it was safe to use in toothpaste.

     

Colgate Total has been using triclosan in its toothpaste since 1997. Colgate feared the FDA was gong to come down on them following the FDA’s ruling re soap.

     

Colgate prepared a detailed report showing the chemical was safe and beneficial in its toothpaste. The triclosan is used by Colgate in conjunction with fluoride. The report indicated that after six to nine months use of Colgate Total, plaque was reduced 41 percent, gum inflammation 22 percent, gum bleeding 48 percent.

     

Rolf Haldren, director of Environmental Security at Arizona State University, has tracked triclosan for years. An expert. He finds FDA’s position hard to understand. Soap on hands results in only a very small amount getting into the body. Whereas through the gums “chemicals get rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream.”

    

FDA justified its decision re the soap by taking the position that long-time exposure to triclosan could lead to new strains of resistant bacteria. It could also disrupt normal development of the reproductive system and metabolism.

     

Soap, yes. Toothpaste, no. Hard to understand.

     

You should be aware. FDA is sensitive to big corporations and lobbyists. Like Congressmen. Influenced.

     

5. This is disgusting. I have been writing about the problem for five years. Recent news set forth the federal government was going to stop using private corporations to run its jails. The reasons simple. Poor quality service, brutality, money charging the prisoners, etc.

Private jail corporations also used for juvenile prisons in many states. 41 to be exact. Not good. The system is turning into a debtor’s prison for children. Poor families cannot pay the court costs and fines. They do not have the money. Children go to jail because the court costs and fines have not been paid.

     

Interest runs on the court costs and fines. The children’s confinement costs like room and board added to the unpaid court costs and fines. Medical, too.

     

Private jails are a business. Nothing for nothing. As a result, the children spend significantly more time in confinement than original sentence. No pay, no get out. The children are in effect punished for parents’ poverty.

This is America?

     

6. Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics has kept track of employment in the public and private sectors since 1939. There was a time when manufacturing jobs out-numbered government workers.

     

Government workers grew in numbers. Eventually overtaking manufacturing jobs. Last time there were more employed in manufacturing than government work was 1989.

     

Employment gradually changed from 1989 to August this year. Government workers include federal, state and local governments. In August, government employees totaled 22,213,000; the manufacturing sector, 12,281,000. 9 million-plus difference.

     

An example of cost of government increasing at same time manufacturing jobs disappearing. One of the reasons for decrease in manufacturing jobs being NAFTA, jobs going to China and other countries.

     

7. Numbers can be manipulated. To arrive at any conclusion desired.

    

Let’s talk about unemployment.

     

The unemployment rate is low. Obama deserves the credit. He got it down from 10 percent to 4.9 percent—a respectable number.

     

The way unemployment is calculated however results in an erroneous result. Not a real one.

     

The labor pool used for calculation does not include the aged and those no longer looking for work. If so, the unemployment percentage would be significantly higher.

     

Obama is not playing with the numbers. Presidents and the federal government going back at least 50 years have used the same system. The one that comes up with a lower more favorable number.

     

Attention is directed to those unemployed and no longer looking for work. A classification in itself. They are referred to as prime age workers. Those between 25 and 54.

    

Eighty three percent of prime age workers did not work last year. Contrast last year with the early 1960s when nearly 100 percent of prime age workers had jobs.

    

Stated another way, nearly 100 percent of prime age workers were employed in the early 1960s. In 2015, only 17 percent.

     

Another way to look at it, one in six prime age workers employed.

    

Most prime age workers are not working because they have given up. After looking and looking and looking for work and not being able to be placed.

     

Trump is correct when he says the 4.9 percent number is not correct. Hillary knows it, but is silent. Understandable. Obama knows it. Everyone in government knows it. I suspect most of us know it, but do not think about it.

     

Enough for today.

As Porky Pig of old would say, that’s it folks!

STAR SPANGLED BANNER.....BIRTH TO TODAY

The War of 1812 primarily involved the United States and Great Britain. Britain had not readily accepted its defeat by the Colonial army. Britain did things to aggravate the new nation.

The aggravations included impressment of ten thousand American merchant seamen into the Royal Navy, trade restrictions, and the launching of minor invasions on U.S. shores. Britain also wanted to prevent the expansion by the United States westward.

The United States declared war on September 12, 1814. A war of importance and significance to the new nation. Britain considered the war an extension of the Napoleonic wars going on in Europe. Once again, Britain failed to take seriously America's interests.

Britain won the first two major battles of the War. The second being the Battle of Washington. Britain burned Washington, including what today would be described as the White House.

Vice Admiral Alexander Cochrane was the British leader during the first two victories.

Following his Washington victory, Cochrane wanted to do battle next in Rhode Island. His judgment was overridden by higher authority. He was told to take Baltimore.

The Battle of Baltimore began with the bombardment of Fort McHenry. The bombardment was ineffectual. Cochrane was reluctant to get his fleet and men too close to the Fort. He feared the Fort's return fire would gravely damage his fleet and men.

Cochrane kept his ships quite a distance away. Cochrane used his bomb vessels and rocket ships to attack the Fort. Both long range guns. Both highly inaccurate at the distance.

A large American flag flew over Fort McHenry. It was still flying after a night long bombardment.

Cochrane's soldiers consisted of British professional soldiers and Corps of Colonial Marines.

The Colonial Marines were made up of two groups. One a company, the other a battalion. They were black American slaves. Escaped slaves. Some 20,000. They had joined the British forces based upon Britain's promise of freedom. Freedom in return for fighting their former masters, the 

Americans.

The Colonial Marines had assisted in the burning of Washington.

Britain lost the War of 1812. Britain honored its promise however. Following the War, the former slaves and their families were relocated to Halifax and Trinidad. 

Francis Scott Key was a prominent Washington attorney. Well respected. A consummate Washington insider. An important player in the early days of the United States. A competent lawyer. Argued more than one hundred cases before the United States Supreme Court. Served for a time as U.S. Attorney for the District of Washington, D.C.

Key was opposed to the War of 1812. Considered it "abominable", as well as a "lump of wickedness."

The evening that Cochrane was bombing Fort McHenry long distance, Key was on one of the British vessels.

 A client had been taken prisoner by the British. He was on board seeking his release. The release was granted. On one condition. Key and his client had to remain aboard the entire evening till the bombardment had been completed.

Key remained awake all night. Observed the bombs and rockets being fired on Fort McHenry. With the dawn, his heart was gladdened. The American flag still flew.

While still on the British vessel, Key wrote a poem in recognition of the event. A poem of pride in the American flag still waving. He titled it the "Defence of Fort McHenry."

Note, a poem. Not yet set to music.

London had many men's clubs in those days and the years before. One was The Anacreontic Society. Amateur musicians.

One of its members was John Stafford Smith. Some forty years earlier in 1773, Smith had written an official song for the Society.  The song was titled The Anacreontic Song.

The music of The Anacreontic Song was applied to Key's poem. The musical version renamed the Star Spangled Banner.

The Star Spangled Banner first consisted of four stanzas. A fifth was added some time later.

The United States Navy began officially using the Star Spangled Banner in 1889. The only governmental department to do so at the time.

President Woodrow Wilson decreed it should be used officially as a national anthem in 1916. However, Wilson had two lines removed from the third stanza which he thought might be considered objectionable by the British. In 1916, the U.S. and Britain were close allies. Britain was already in World War I.

The two lines were reinstated in 1931 when Congress passed a resolution signed by President Herbert Hoover declaring the Star Spangled Banner the United States National Anthem.

Baseball got into the act in 1918. During the seventh inning stretch of game one of the World Series, the Star Spangled Banner was played.

Patriotism hit its peak during World War II. The Star Spangled Banner was played before every game. It still is to this day.

The first stanza is generally the only one played. The others rarely heard. Key's experiences on the ship that night evident in the words he wrote: .....by the dawn's early light.....bombs bursting in air.....rockets red glare.

Two lines in the third stanza that Wilson thought objectionable in 1916 have returned to the forefront in recent weeks.  

            No refuge could save the hireling and slave

            From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave

                .

Key regarded the British professional soldiers as mercenaries. He described them in the two lines as "hirelings." Without question, Key considered the British soldiers scoundrels. He was upset with the havoc and destruction the British had brought to the Chesapeake area.

Key looked upon the escaped black slaves making up the Corps of Colonial Marines as traitors. Slave or not, the United States was their country. Key feared more slaves would escape and join the British ranks. He was concerned such would spark a national slave insurrection.

An interesting observation by a man who considered slavery a moral wrong. His position apparently was country first.

Which brings me to the motivation for this column. San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick sitting and kneeling while the Star Spangled Banner was being played.

In a nation where burning the American flag is Constitutionally protected free speech, sitting or kneeling while the Star Spangled Banner is played is significantly less offensive. 

Kaepernick had something to say. He had a right to say it by his actions. Especially as an African-American. He was speaking out. Protesting racial injustice, minority oppression and police brutality.

I sometimes think we have not come very far from pre-Civil War days. Nor from the anti-black happenings in our country in the 1950s and 1960s.

I have written and spoken about the police shooting of blacks the past two years. My message was.....Beware! What goes around, comes around. You can only tread on a people for so long before they retaliate.

That time has come this past year with the killing of police by blacks.

I tolerate neither.

Without any question however, Kaepernick has the right to protest in his fashion. He kills no one. He did not yell or scream. He made a silent showing of protest. Legal and proper. 

Too many Americans have condemned him. Wrong. Condemn that which caused him to make his statement by sitting and kneeling. 

I read somewhere this past week that the "home of the brave" is not necessarily the "land of the free." Think about it.

Our country is mired in discrimination. It is part of the national fabric. It will remain such till there are few if any persons of white color remaining. With the increasing number of colored making up our society, the day will come sometime in this century where discrimination will have disappeared. Via intermarriage of the races. It is inevitable.

NEW FACE IN PRICE GOUGING AND POLITICAL INFLUENCE

The little guy does not get a break. The big guys get everything.

Two of the biggest whores are the big pharmaceutical houses and Congress. They defecate on the public without thought or consideration.

An example is Mylan Pharmaceuticals. Their #1 product is the EpiPen. Forty percent of their business.

Mylan's CEO is Heather Bresch. Her father is Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia.

Bresch is on the hot seat. For the unusual high cost of EpiPen. She is taking a beating in the media.

 

EpiPen is a life saver for anyone allergic to common foods. Like peanuts, shellfish and eggs. Even bee stings.

The resultant medical condition is anaphylaxis. A potentially fatal allergic reaction. Required to cure/save a life is an emergency dose of epinephrine. A quick dose.

Life can disappear rapidly from the symptoms. Shortness of breath, throat swelling, tongue swelling, vomiting, and low blood pressure. Seconds are important.

Prior to Epi Pen's invention, anyone with anaphylaxis had to be treated by drawing epinephrine from a bottle with a syringe. Too time consuming. Death could occur in even that slight time. A quicker method was required.

Turned out to be EpiPen. EpiPen is a small machine. Looks like a big hypodermic needle. The epinephrine contained in it when purchased. If needed, a shot in the hip is all it takes. The size and force of the needle guarantees immediate introduction into the blood stream.

Mylan cornered the patents in 2007. The patents have since made millions for Mylan. Mylan today is #1 in the food allergy market. It's U.S. market share is 90 percent.

Mylan successfully lobbied a bill through Congress requiring all public schools to carry EpiPens. Obama signed the bill into law November 2013.

Schools were and still are required to buy the EpiPens. A big time expenditure. The life of an EpiPen is one year. Ergo, each year the schools and others in need of EpiPens are required to repurchase them.

Oh, the money coming in! Mylan made its cash flow even more profitable. Mylan automatically implemented double digit price hikes every other quarter.

The genius behind Mylan's successful marketing is Heather Bresch. CEO of Mylan.

After having cornered the market for the device in 2007, Mylan's consumer cost has increased by 481 percent. During that time, Bresch's salary has increased 671 percent. All in a period of nine years.

EpiPen is presently selling in excess of $600 a package. Two pens per package. To the consumer, the cost is $415. After insurance discounts.

In France, the consumer pays $85 USD.

In 2007, Bresch's salary was $2.5 million. Today, $18.9 million. 

Not bad.

Bresch proudly proclaims EpiPen as her "baby."

In addition to her executive responsibilities, Bresch has acted as a lobbyist for Mylan. At one time her position at Mylan was strictly as a lobbyist. Bresch was a factor in Washington even before her father Joe Manchin became a United States Senator in 2010.

Mylan's patent rights run out in 2018. The generic would hit the market at a significantly cheaper price than what Mylan is charging.

As Mylan CEO, Bresch successfully lobbied anti-generic legislation that will benefit Mylan in 2018. The thrust of the new law is that the FDA must first approve a generic before it can go to market. The FDA is a useless political tool. Needs redoing from top to bottom. It could take years to receive FDA approval for anti-generics. Especially Mylan's EpiPen.

Bresch is a typical corporate CEO. The bottom line is everything. She got Mylan into inversion. She reincorporated Mylan in the Netherlands to significantly lower its effective tax rate. 

Everything is as before the inversion. The plant is still in Pennsylvania. The Netherlands merely a small office.

Bresch has taken advantage of the inversion loophole in the tax laws. Laws passed over the years by Congress and signed into law by our Presidents. 

Her father Senator Joe Manchin considers inversion illegal.

Regarding Bresch taking advantage of the inversion laws, she told the New York Times, "You can't maintain a competitive disadvantage.....I mean you just can't."

In 2014, Fortune Magazine listed Bresch as one of the "50 Most Powerful Women In Business." Number 31.

Joe Manchin is Heather Bresch's Dad. A well known and respected political figure. Since 2010, he has been a United States Senator from West Virginia. A Democrat. Leans modestly left of center. Considered bipartisan. Frequently votes for Republican legislation.

A professional politician. Since 1982, he has served in the West Virginia House of Delegates, West Virginia Senate, Secretary of State for West Virginia, and Governor of West Virginia. Now, a United States Senator.

His family bears resemblance to the Bush's. His father, grandfather and other relatives were politicians locally and at the State level.

Manchin was already a prominent politician during Bresch's upbringing.

Sometimes a measure of a person's character can be measured by prior life experiences. One of Bresch's was her short lived MBA.

Bresch earned a Bachelor's degree from West Virginia University. She attended West Virginia thereafter to obtain an MBA. She completed only 26 of the required 48 credit hours.

In 2007, Bresch was a prominent staff member at Mylan. She had been claiming she obtained an MBA from West Virginia University. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette exposed her MBA claim.

West Virginia University disputed it.  However, subsequently awarded Bresch an MBA. Still with only 26 credit hours.

Her father Joe Manchin was West Virginia Governor at the time. He and West Virginia University President Michael Garrison were friends. Garrison was also a family friend and at one time a business associate of Bresch. He also had worked at one time for Mylan as a consultant and lobbyist.

Faculty and others at West Virginia were incensed. A degree given without completion of necessary work unheard of.

The Faculty Senate voted 77-19 against the situation. In effect, a vote of no confidence against Garrison. The full Faculty in an open vote, voted 565-39 with 11 abstentions. Another no confidence vote in effect of Garrison.

Garrison tendered his resignation soon after to take effect September 1, 2008.

The University rescinded Bresch's MBA degree.

There was a grand jury investigation. No indictments were forthcoming.

The price gouging disclosure is at an infancy stage. More will come. The country appears unhappy with Bresch. TV evening luminary Stephen Colbert referred to her as a "douche." The term has been picked up by the media and is being circulated as "douchebag." Whatever, one and the same.

No question I am unhappy with Big Pharma and the manipulation of drug costs. I have complained in writing and on my podcast show in the past about such.

Not right.

Then there is the political influence that is available to the big guys. Not the little people. The 99 percent. 

Is there price gouging? Is there political influence?

Consider the facts. Then make up your own mind. 

You know where I stand. There is a stink here.