Another scandal out of Texas

"Concern for man himself and his fate must always form the chief interest of all technical endeavor."

Einstein

The aberrant nature of some people is enough to question whether deviant decisions are due to a loss of integrity; or simply evidence that ethical integrity was merely an affectation the individual has discarded.  Failure of individuals in positions of trust to conform to the ethical principles of their chosen profession causes scandal; as well it should.  


I have been following the conflict of interest scandal at the American Journal of Bioethics, or AJOB. A financially successful underachiever, and a veritable poster boy for unethical conduct, presidential hopeful, Rick Perry, is one of the players; and so are some of his cronies.  It is typical for humans with unethical behavior to be driven by self-interested motives; and typical for them to 'do business' with others that have the same characteristic flaws.  Unfortunately, when this happens, it has the potential to cause all of us to experience negative consequences for their unethical conduct.


The situation is not difficult to understand; but it is involved, and better explained by others.  I've posted a couple of sources 


A couple of quotes written in reference to another scandal sums it up pretty well: 

"Appearances matter, and when it comes to inspiring trust, they matter as much as reality."  

and 

"Side deals and back-scratching in Texas—imagine that!"

The language of Bioethics via Ethics Alarms
Ethical Analysis Toolkit: Definitions, Principles and Concepts


via Fear and Loathing in Bioethics


A Reporter's Guide the American Journal of Bioethics Scandal Sunday February 12, 2012 
a brief excerpt:

"So you've read the Twitter feeds and the blogs, but you are still not sure exactly what is going on with the story. All you know is that it has something to do with dubious stem cell treatments, a bioethics journal editor, the FDA, Rick Perry, a puppy-cloning stem cell outfit in Korea, and a couple of unexpected deaths. You want to investigate further, but you need a guide. That's what I hope to give you here.

"THE CHARACTERS

"RNL Bio: a South Korea-based based company at the center of the “stem cell tourism” controversy. RNL Bio prepares stem cells and distributes them to clinics all over the world, which then market stem cell therapy to patients for cosmetic purposes and anti-aging therapy, as well as serious illnesses such as Parkinson's disease and kidney failure. These stem cell therapies are illegal in South Korea, so RNL Bio has set up operations in other countries, including the U.S., China and Japan. The FDA has not approved these treatments and many reputable researchers believe they are risky and ineffective. In November 2010, the Korean media reported that two patients had died after receiving RNL Bio stem cell injections." read here

via BIOPOITICALTIMES:

Rick Perry, Glenn McGee and Selling Texas Stem Cells Posted by Pete Shanks on February 16th, 2012 Rick Perry  "equates creationism with evolution ... and is using and promoting "treatments that are at present more closely tied to quackery then medicine." read here hat tip: Fear and Loathing in Bioethics

picture by  Andy Love