Making money in the GFC
The last 12 months have been tough. Especially for certain multinationals who rely on a lot of people getting sick to make a buck. During uncertain economic times, it pays to turn up to work, and all of a sudden the population stays healthier than normal. What to do?
Imagine that you could get some of your boffins to develop a new strain of some common virus. Something highly infectious, but not too virulent (it would be immoral to kill too many people). You could introduce it to some out-of-the-way location (say, Mexico) so that you wouldn’t be traced. Then, because it’s not actually a very dangerous virus, you whip up a little media frenzy by contacting a friend (say, R. Murdoch* Rupert M.) who also wants to make a bit more money.
Because it’s a slow news month, the hype surrounding your new virus spreads around the world quicker that the actual ‘flu. Governments start panicking, installing heat sensors at airports, and gearing up for pandemic mode.
Luckily, you have already developed a drug that will prevent and treat your new virus. Gullible health ministers start to order millions of doses of your cure.
Step 3: profit.
Sounds far fetched? Think I should be breaking out the tinfoil hat? Or do you recall a history of dodgy practises in this industry?
I’ll be reserving my judgement on this one for now.
* Name changed to protect confidentiality
August 5, 2009 8:43 am 2 Comments
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By Luke
, August 5, 2009 @ 1:11 pm
Oooh, conspiracy!
By Senor Impostor
, August 11, 2009 @ 12:28 pm
This just in:
The Minister for Communications has ordered 21 million tinfoil hats to protect Australian citizens against the threat of the sky falling on their heads