Cal Thomas - China’s monopoly on drug manufacturing

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Today is Thursday, March 26th. Good morning! This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Mary Reichard.

NICK EICHER, HOST: And I’m Nick Eicher. WORLD commentator Cal Thomas on policies and pandemics.

CAL THOMAS, COMMENTATOR: Whatever became of Dan Quayle? He has kept a low profile since he was George H.W. Bush’s vice president three decades ago, so I called him up to discuss government policies related to the coronavirus. 

Quayle gives high marks to the Trump administration and its response to the coronavirus pandemic. He said—quote—“They’re doing a very good job. They know what they’re doing.” 

He also shares President Trump’s optimism about the nation’s recovery. But rather than a V-shaped recovery, he thinks it may look more like a U-shaped recovery—meaning it will take a little longer than people would like. 

Quayle noted that China’s near-monopoly on the production of drugs was not always the case. The U.S. tax code used to give preferential treatment to pharmaceutical companies that manufactured their products in Puerto Rico. But Bill Clinton signed a law phasing out those tax breaks, and the companies responded accordingly. 

“They left Puerto Rico and went to China,” Quayle told me. “I ask you today: Would you rather have medications produced in Puerto Rico, or in China?”

The former vice president believes the country that could be the “big winner” in this is Mexico. Quoting now—“Mexicans are hard workers, family oriented, good values, and the cost of labor is less in Mexico.”

Quayle said even if those drug companies didn’t bring their business back to the United States, “at least bring it back to North America.”

Quayle says the policy of engaging China—bringing them into the World Trade Organization and hoping communist leaders would be less authoritarian and more has not worked. Quote—“They want us out of the Pacific so they can be the dominant player in the world, and we have to recognize this. Instead of becoming more democratic and more in favor of human rights, they have moved in the opposite direction.” End quote. 

Despite the mocking criticism he often received when he was vice president, Quayle says he does—quote—“miss the politics, running the country, being in the Senate. I wouldn’t mind being back (in Washington), but I have no desire to go back there. It’s a noble cause. I wish more men and women would get involved in politics. We’d be better off for it.” End quote. 

For the last two decades, Quayle has been chairman of Cerberus Capital, an investment fund. He has an office in New York and a home in Phoenix. For him, life is good. For the country at the moment, not so much.

I’m Cal Thomas.

(Photo/Today) Dan Quayle

WORLD Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of WORLD Radio programming is the audio record.