Jumping the shark

Now, Jumping the shark may be a bit of an over simplification, but...

While reviewing this examination of Mexico’s role in the development of pharmaceuticals, Gabriela Soto Laveaga’s book Jungle Labs, I could not help but think of the “Jumping the Shark” metaphor for this industry. Here we have an industry that is producing, and creating a lifestyle for its laborers, in a global market with the workers and students urging the government assistance in developing protections for the indigenous industry and when the goverment steps in the industry growth curve displays a rapid incline and an equally rapid decline, no matter what the state run industry did it was unable to prevent other players in the industry from producing a synthetic product and render the Mexican production irrelevant. Akin to Fonzy jumping the shark (do I need to explain this for you youngsters?); not even he could save "Happy Days".

I think Carol’s statement regarding companies that continually work to thwart monopolies is ultimately what brought in the rapid decline. But, I also believe that the protectionist maneuvering by Echeverria, using exploitation of peasants as a reason to nationalize the steroid industry may have also been a factor. And, prevented Mexico from realizing its desire to rid the nation of its dependency on foreign pharmaceutical companies.

Interesting parallel or contrast; when it was attempted to domesticate the tuber they were not able to obtain the high yield of dioscoreas they could get from the wild variation.  This is in contrast to cochineal; the farmers successfully developed a higher quality domesticated or cultivated variety then the wild variation. 

Overall the Laveaga has provided a perspective on the development of steroids I had not considered previously. As Kirsten points out in her post the laborers were not exploited and were able to elevate their station in their society through hard work.