Capitalism Update

No Love for Sale,

But How About A Kidney?

Last week’s federal corruption fishnet drew in a boatload of the Garden State’s garden-variety little-fish crooks and one pure capitalist visionary.

The little fish included three mayors and other officials accused of taking care of newfound friends for newfound cash. They also included rabbis so concerned with kosher practice the feds say they even koshered questionable money, soaking it overnight in a “charity” and returning it clean and bloodless (less customary fees and handling, of course).

The accused capitalist visionary was Levy Izhak Rosenbaum, who feds say saw a market, filled the needs of that market and made a profit doing so. Those acts might mark him a capitalist of the first order, on a par with the founders of Google, or Microsoft or Apple, except for one niggling detail.

The market Rosenbaum allegedly entered was the niggling detail.

It was the market for human kidneys.

And that, since 1984 and the Reagan administration no less, has been illegal.

Even a cursory examination shows that both Republicans and Democrats are condoning and encouraging actions that both deny capitalists the benefits of their foresight and risk-taking, and also deny consumers the potential tinkle-down benefits. Consider:

n Every year, more than 4,500 persons in the United States die while waiting for a kidney transplant. There is a scarcity, because although we all have two kidneys and most can function on just one, the amount available for transplant remains below demand. Some folks won’t donate organs after death, some mess them up in the process of dying. But any way you look at it, there is a demand for human kidneys.

n Although not legally available because of the strict anti-capitalist human organ laws of the U.S. and other countries, there is an available supply of kidneys. As mentioned, we can all function with just one. That leaves most of us with an inborn amount of product we can put into the marketplace. For a price, of course. (This is Capitalism 101 – Altruism 101 meets weekly in the U.S. Capitol).

Well, when you have a demand aka a willing buyer, and a supply, aka a willing seller, all you need is the services of a broker to introduce the two. Actually, you don’t really need the broker. In theory, you could do all that yourself, like buying and selling a home.

But it’s daunting to match the right buyer, house and price and execute the complicated dance of bidding, negotiating, agreeing and closing. Ditto for a kidney. How healthy is the donor? How old? Right tissue match? Who pays for the surgery? Where? In anything complicated, most of us need a broker.

That market need was filled by Rosenbaum, the feds say. He found folks in Israel who needed cash and had a spare kidney. He found folks in the United States who had cash, but needed a kidney. And he’s accusing of bringing them together and taking care of the details.

Note that these weren’t stolen kidneys or counterfeit kidneys. He’s accused of helping the rightful owners of kidneys sell them to willing buyers, making a profit or, if you will, a commission.

If we were talking about diamonds or steel or real estate or many other items, this would be a success story. Instead, it’s the story of yet another anti-capitalist act by the federal government, a government with its head in the cloud of laws and no heart.

Sheesh – government without a heart.

Wonder how it might find one. . .

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