The Cure for Cancer is Likely Being Suppressed

Before we start, I’d like to clear up some specifics about framework. Since the resolution states “likely being suppressed,” I don’t have to prove that the cure for cancer is being suppressed, I simply have to show that there is a likely chance. Definitions: Suppressed: prevent the dissemination of (information). Cure [noun]: A substance or treatment that cures a disease or condition. Cure [verb]: relieve (a person or animal) of the symptoms of a disease or condition. All sub-contentions will fall under two overarching main contentions. These two contentions are incentive, and history. Incentive: Pharmaceutical Industry: The pharmaceutical industry in the USA is considered to be the world’s most important national market. Along with the other North American nations, it represents the largest continental pharma market worldwide. These companies bring in insane amounts of revenue. Johnson & Johnson, in 2014, brought in 75 billion dollars US [1]. Remember, this is only for one company, there are many others. Drugs themselves can bring in a great deal of revenue as well. Sovaldi, was the best-selling drug in 2014, bringing in around 8 billion US dollars of revenue [1]. Newly approved cancer drugs cost an average of $10,000 every month [2]. The US actually makes a great deal of money from this industry, and the government knows that the industry needs to stay strong, as it contributes a great deal to the economy. Disclosing a cure for cancer, even a preventative treatment, will definitely downsize the cancer treatment sector of the medical industry, therefore leading to losses of jobs and profit. Its basic economics, when the demand for services in this area goes down, the amount of individuals working in that sector decreases with it. Societal Structure: It is very probable that upper society benefits from keeping a set class system. To do this, they need methods of keeping the lower classes down. One of these methods is likely to be diseases, specifically cancer in this case. A study conducted on more than 300,000 cancer patients in British explored the correlation between social class and cancer. They found that in poor people, cervical and lung cancer are more common. This is due to the basic methods of cancer treatment that the government already has being very costly. Poor people simply cannot afford the cost of preventative treatment, or any treatment at all [see the cost of new cancer drugs above.] The government notices this, and keeps this in mind when suppressing the cure for cancer, because they don’t want a cheaper and more accessible alternative coming out, which would jeopardize one of their avenues of keeping the lower classes suppressed. This theory is explored in George Orwell’s famous novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four, where the government of Oceania and the other 2 countries have an unspoken agreement to always be in a state of war. Giving something to drain resources and keep the lower classes busy. He proposed that the upper governing class is more than willing to give up some of their comforts in order to preserve the fine line in lifestyle between the classes. History: Rife Machines: The Rife machine was developed by Royal Raymond Rife in the 1920s. This machine was designed to emit sound waves of the correct frequency, which would then destroy cancer cells. The treatment was rejected because the frequency was not high or strong enough to actually destroy cancer cells. However it prompts one to beg the question, why was this avenue not explored further? Rife clearly had a theory, but no government expressed any interest in following through with it. This is more to suggest that it has no interest in finding a cost efficient, widely accessible cure for cancer at all. Past Government Occurrences: I know it is inevitable that my opponent will argue that the government works, and only works, in service of the people. However the past has proven that they do not always hold the lives of all citizens dear. I will present two examples here. First, the US government poisoned alcohol during the prohibition. Since the 18th amendment which banned alcohol did not ban consumption, the US government actually added deadly chemicals, including kerosene, chloroform, and acetone among well-known industrial versions of alcohol, to make them more difficult to consume. This led to the deaths of 400 people in New York City in the year 1926, in the following year 700 people died. Another, true occurrence, is the human research operation named “MKUltra.” Researchers actually tested the effects of things like hypnosis, sensory deprivation, isolation, torture, and LSD on US and Canadian citizens, without their consent [3]. It is clear now that the government is willing to put the lives of its own citizens in danger, if it is done to preserve and further their ideal version of society and the way things should run. All of this shows that it is not unlikely the government is suppressing a cure for cancer, in fact history has shown it is probably quite likely. Due to economic and societal incentives, the cure for cancer is likely being suppressed. Remember, for me to win, I have to simply prove there is a decent likelihood. With that I’ll hand it over to my opponent. Sources: http://www.statista.com... http://health.usnews.com... http://www.businessinsider.com...