Nationalizing Life and Death

The American Thinker ^ | March 08, 2009 | John Griffing

[Scanian]

"Crisis! Crisis! Crisis!" So is it always with petty politicians seeking to enhance their power. Swallow it whole, swallow it now is the word. But just what are we swallowing so fast that we don't even have time to think? Are we really to believe that all we must do is touch the hem of President Obama's garment, and the pains of capitalist dislocation will wash away?

Hidden deep in the stimulus bill is a Trojan horse like no other. I am not speaking of pork. A scheme more dastardly would have been hard to concoct. With the passage of this bill, the US government is now empowered to "ration" healthcare. That means, to treat or not to treat is now a government question.

Within the bill is a line that would sentence millions of people to death:

In addition, $400,000,000 shall be available...to accelerate the development and dissemination of research assessing the comparative effectiveness of health care treatments and strategies, including through efforts that: (1) conduct, support, or synthesize research that compares the clinical outcomes, effectiveness, and appropriateness of items, services, and procedures that are used to prevent, diagnose, or treat diseases, disorders, and other health conditions

For those that don't speak draconian, "comparative effectiveness" means that the cost of an individual's treatment will be divided by the number of years they are likely to benefit. If your treatment is too "costly" you will be thrown out with the bathwater.

[OldArmy52]

And here we all thought Obama was a “Compassionate Marxist”.

Oh well, guess he is just another Liberal, with their typical Stalinistic sense of compassion.

[FrankR]

The AcornNuts and the MSM are like hens in a chicken coop...commiebama whistles and they all snap to attention and simultaneously look his way.

The messiah says "sit", and they all sit. He says "lay" and they all lay. He says "panic" and they all throw pork into a bill for him to sign.

An these people call Rush's listeners "robots"... sheeeeesh.

Commiebama is making clinton and carter seem almost civil.

[The Great RJ]

I would think senior citizens would be up in arms abut this. Imagine an active senior citizen of 83, who lives alone, and is fully independent falling and fracturing a hip. They are now told that repairing the hip so they could continue to lead an independent life would be too costly at their age and they should spend the rest of their days confined to a wheelchair in a nursing home. I know many seniors who are active and vibrant well into their 80s or even 90s who would be denied treatment simply because they are deemed too old.

I shudder to think of the fate of babies born with serious defects who would be just be left to die because their treatment is too costly.

[Scanian]

AARP should be all over this issue but I’m not aware of any interest on their part. It is a straight-up Democrat operation as far as I can tell.

[a02001]

As long as it does not affect those that run AARP but only its members, what do they care?

[neverdem]

BTTT

[Aunt Polgara]

AARP is an insurance company first. They benefit if people die instead of being treated. I can’t understand how seniors (and I’m one of them) just don’t seem to get it.

[Aunt Polgara]

AARP is an insurance company first. They benefit if people die instead of being treated. I can’t understand how seniors (and I’m one of them) just don’t seem to get it.

[GladesGuru]

Waaay too many older voters are Democrapic Partei members. Let ‘em rot.

They voted for medical benefits they had not paid for - so, in what way are they different from OctoMom or any other breeder of bastards on a government subsidy?

Gimme Pigs, all of ‘em.