I think it's pretty clear that there isn't enough said, and that there isn't a simple answer. I've learned quite a bit from the past few days of exchanges, including your take on it, and I'm personally trying to come up with some answers. I don't think it's impossible to find a solution, and I think you're quite correct in saying that there's a split liability between individual and plan. However, pharmaceutical companies are not, nor should they be, utilities, as they'll stop research. My own take on innovation and invention is that it is driven by capitalism and individualism.
Equivocation implies deceit.
It is done to avoid committing to ideas. I guess there's no accounting for some beliefs. Language is based on a type of logic system. If an anthropologist is talking to a psychologist, they will need to constantly define the exact terms they are using because the definitions are so explicit within each field. The value of a list-serve like this is that it brings together disciplines and experiences.