Interview · moment 21 of 22
Big Pharma's Untouchable Power and Rumsfeld's Gilead Ties
from #246 - I Love The CIA (with Whitney Webb) | The Tim Dillon Show · #246
2 min
Guest
They discuss how criticism of pharma is treated as lunacy, comparing the Sackler family scapegoating to Bernie Madoff, and noting Donald Rumsfeld's history running Gilead before becoming Secretary of Defense.
- Tim discusses people facing criticism for questioning puberty blockers prescribed to children identifying as trans.
- When Adderall and Ritalin came out, there were legitimate questions about medicating children at all.
- America is heavily medicated, but anxiety and depression often stem from situational, dietary, or hormonal causes rather than deficiencies requiring pills.
- The pharmaceutical industry's power is barely understood compared to constant scrutiny of the national security state or oil and gas.
- Donald Rumsfeld went from heading Gilead, a major pharmaceutical company, to becoming Secretary of Defense under George W. Bush—a revolving door between the Pentagon and pharma.
- Tim notes the odd overlap of being a pharmaceutical CEO and then Secretary of Defense.
- Tim jokes about the pope who resigned possibly becoming CEO of AstraZeneca as the next revolving-door move.
Donald Rumsfeldpharmaceutical industryGileadpuberty blockersnational security stateAdderallGeorge W. BushAstraZenecaWhitney Webb