Idiots in the Guardian

I spotted this one over at Timmys place. I don't often have the stomach for reading the Gurdian, but Timmy is made of much sterner stuff, so I can pick out the good ones from over there

Blood for money: my journey in the industry buying poor Americans’ plasma

I'll cut this one short. The author needs supplies of blood plasma to survive. People donate blood plasma, so she always has this supply. The trouble, apparently, is they all live in America, where it is legal to pay people for donating plasma, unlike many other countries

Reading the basics on Timmys blog gave me a moment of confusion, followed by a moment of clarity. I thought, 'She can't possibly be arguing against people selling blood plasma, which she desperately needs to survive', but then I realised, this is The Guardian, of course she is. And she's plugging her book about it

As Timmy points out, in his own unique style: "Without paid for plasma you’d be dead, Honey. Chew on that."

The reason being, no country in the world that relies on volutary donations, produces enough plasma for it's own needs

But it goes deeper than that

More than 1,000 paid plasma centers thrive across the country, often concentrated in poorer zip codes and college towns, luring in donors with financial rewards of hundreds of dollars a month if they go twice a week, and keeping them hooked on the ability to supplement their incomes.

It’s a fact of life for many. The practice – seen as unsavory by many who’ve never had to rely on it – has replaced what used to account for a social safety net. Where wages have failed to keep pace with costs, where housing prices rise out of reach, where basics like gas can feel unattainable, blood money often fills in the gaps.

Over the course of three years, I interviewed more than 100 people who have sold their blood proteins, from Idaho to Texas to Michigan and all over in between. They told me stories of using the money to buy groceries, gas, pay off student debt and even for small fun things like vacations.

How lucky they all are that they have you to try and take this away from them. People who sell plasma to buy groceries will be overjoyed when the Government bans paid sales, at your behest, just so we can live in a world that more fits your moral outlook. But these people cannot eat morals

Of course, after paid sales are banned, you will still damand these people altuistically continue to turn up and donte, because you need it, right?