[lbo-talk] I'd like to see some research.

[Hari Kumar]

Sat, 14 Feb 2004 16:47:20 -0800 (PST)
From: andie nachgeborenen 
"Once again, I'd like to see some research. But if businessmen do it, it must make sense . . . a touching faith for a bunch of Marxists. jks"
Hi J: Well you are perfectly right - too much is taken for granted. 
However, in a field I know a bit of, it is commonly the case that the prey, denies the business acumen & common sense of the hunter. 
In drug marketing - drug companies spend an awful lot of time, advertising to the medical profession. And indeed actively bribing them with 'educational' incentives like meals for seminars etc. Especially young docs in my experience, deny that this can "possibly" have any influence on them as all they are doing is having a 'good feed'. The companies know better & changes in prescribing habits have been shown. Joel Lexchin & recent editorials in Lancet & BMJ - amongst many others - have written on this, and there are several instances where the drug companies say "we know this works. Now - contrary to my postings on the USSR, I will not give chapter & verse - largely because these citations are fairly well known, & are far less contentious than stuff on the poor old modern day Richard III- JVS. But laziness is not an unknown commodity in these old bones of mine. 
Hari Kumar