connecting*the*dots

Courtney forwarded this email to me the other day. I thought it was great, so, with permission of the original author:

From: Andrew Kling
Date: September 1, 2006 12:31:51 PM EDT
To: mailingList
Subject: Adam Smith Does Not Make Good Material

So today in the campaign office we were discussing the stem cell initiative, specifically that the Chamber of Commerce had started running ads in favor because it would be good for business. That’s a horrible, horrible reason, but whatever.

Then my colleague recalled a bill that was looking like it was going to pass despite our side’s best efforts - allowing pharmacists to refuse to fill prescriptions. Not just EC or birth control, any prescriptions. “Want AIDS meds? Serves you right for being gay” kind of stuff.

All of a sudden, the bill disappeared. Gone. It looked inevitable, but in one quiet instant it simply vanished. Who shut it down? Chamber of Commerce. Why? Not because of the ethics, but because such a bill would be “bad for business”.

I responded,

“Wow. Pimp-slapped by the invisible hand.”

Oh come on, rest of the office - that’s comedic gold.

Hope you are having a wonderful day, or at least one with a better audience. ;)

-a

Andrew Kling
Rebecca McClanahan for State Representative