Actually more than 5, but there are only 5 that count.

There's a view of the top of the Chrysler building, not that anyone looks. Conversation is desultory. Not about the NFL. It's an international group.

One principal  without introduction, says, "In Australia we'll go to a thousand dollars for the RCP 852."

Silence. Then another says "In South Africa the PN 15,500 rand ".

A third: "Germany, the  XY 25,5000 euros."

No one take notes but the bag carriers at the table commit these numbers to memory.

It was all illegal. It was price fixing, world-wide, for an important product range. Certainly it's not always done that way . But it was done that way that day.

Now lets discuss Mr.Shkreli and his several thousand percent price increase. Almost certainly it was not as clearly  illegal as the session I just described.

But was it immoral? People will die, perhaps already have because they now can't afford a med they require. But by me, it was not immoral. Corporations charge "whatever the market can bear." That's what they do.

The immorality was several hundred  miles south, on the Potomac with a Congress that fails to pass laws that make it illegal for the Shkreli's of this world to corner a market.

A hundred and thirty years ago that congress passed anti-trust laws which made it illegal for their major industries of the time to do their own Shkreli.

When was the last time we did something like that? You can count them on the fingers of one finger, IMHO.

Relying on the generous impulses of individual CEO's is a joke. That's not their job. Relying on the laws is by no means a complete safeguard. Ask those five men with the view of the Chrysler Building. But it's better than nothing.

And Oh by the way Merry Christmas everyone.