Page 27 - Like No Business I Know

Hypocritical Oaths

“And that is why you belong in a laboratory, away from the levers
of power. I left out one example of artificial demand, because I didn’t
think you would need it spelled out. Evidently not. What we provide
the public used to be called health insurance, a term of obvious
absurdity. Insurance, of course, is purchased only by those who
perceive a need for it. In earlier eras, the protection racket fulfilled
the same function, selling a service for which it also created the
demand. Not to put too fine a point on it, Doctor, Triskelion
acquired a pharmaceutical laboratory and a charitable foundation in
order to adjust to the changing business climate. Instead of making
people well enough—or discouraged enough—not to demand too
much care, we must keep them ill enough to demand doctoring in
sufficient quantity to justify our existence.”
The dawn of comprehension broke on the other man’s face.
“No! You can’t be serious!”
“Indeed I am. The Triskelion Foundation operates soup kitchens
in several key cities. The indigent patrons of these tax-deductible
charitable organizations are totally expendable; the last useful activity
for many of them is as vectors for the current year’s flu bugs. Our
labs supply the inoculations and the remedies soon to be in demand.
And our HMO’s will soon be busy with sniffling sneezing patrons.
We stay in business, you and I keep our jobs and benefits, and
everybody’s happy.”
“Not the poor bastards without adequate immunity to prevent
serious cases! There will deaths. I can’t believe what you’ve just told
me. Now I have no choice but to blow the whistle on Triskelion.”
Dreyfus began to rise from his chair.
“Wait!” Raven’s voice was devoid of warmth. “You do have a
choice: your own life or death. Do you think I would willingly expose
myself and the corporation to the outraged morality of an
insignificant test-tube jockey like you? Why do you suppose your co-
workers took no action but referred you to me? They want to keep
their jobs, too. And they have all come to me, one at a time, after
stumbling onto their great discovery. Yes, each of them has sat in
that chair, told me his or her tale of horror, and accepted a glass of
water from me.”
“Glass of water?” Dreyfus was puzzled.

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