> FWIW, I don't consider surgeons to be extortionists.

Of course, that’s the point of the comparison. If I thought you thought surgeons were extortionists I wouldn’t have used the example because it wouldn’t have served to illustrate the point.

> But this line of reasoning is off in the weeds, and I won't pursue it further.

Indeed, that strayed completely away from the point. This has nothing to do with healthcare.

> Many life-saving transplant patents are stuck in a wait list, for instance, and many die waiting.

I know. I’ve made that point in a sibling comment hours before your post.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48259154

> Perhaps what it comes down to is that you have a pro-capitalist outlook

Making assumptions about strangers on the internet tends to be embarrassing, and this is no exception.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38999857

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46854217

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46853865

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46564646

> and I have They Live sunglasses.

https://xkcd.com/610/