AP photo of Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel by J. Scott Applewhite
Doctor Ezekiel Emanuel, the brother of President Obama’s Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel has been appointed to two key positions in the health care hierarchy. He is now health policy adviser at the Office of Management and Budget and a member of the Federal Council on Comparative Effectiveness Research. This gives him a key position in playing a major role in guiding the White House’s health initiative.
He is an admitted bio ethicist, who has written extensively about who should get medical care, who should decide, and who’s life is worth saving. Operating on the premise of scarce medical resources and the need to be cost effective, he promotes a kind of social Darwinism.
In the web site, All about Science, we have an excellent definition of Social Darwinism, as proposed by 19th century philosopher Herbert Spencer. "Social Darwinism is an application of the theory of natural selection to social, political, and economic issues. In its simplest form, Social Darwinism follows the mantra of "the strong survive,"
Fascist dictators Adolph Hitler and Benito Mussolini both followed this philosophy and incorporated it into their fascist dogma. The guards at Buchenwald followed this philosophy as they culled out the sick and the lame and the very young and the old and sent them to the "showers" because they were unable to work.
In an article in the Wall Street Journal, entitled "Obama’s Health Rationer-in-Chief" by Betsy McCaughey, Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel's chart, as published in the medical journal, "The Lancet", January 31, 2009, shows exactly who he thinks should get care and who should get reduced (rationed) care. Just as in the camps, it is based on age and the very young and the very old are culled. The most health care goes to ages 20 through 50 years old.
In health care decisions, Dr. Emanuel argues that the focus cannot be only on the worth of the individual. In the Wall Street Journal article, he proposes adding "the communitarian perspective to ensure that medical resources will be allocated in a way that benefits society".
Translation into English: your usefulness to society. Benito Mussolini said much the same thing about individual worth in the Doctrine Of Fascism, written in 1939.
In the Journal of the American Medical Association, February 27, 2008 he wrote "Vague promises of savings from cutting waste, enhancing prevention and wellness, installing electronic medical records and improving quality of care are merely "Lipstick"cost control, more for show and public relations that for true change."
He argues that true reform must include redefining doctor’s ethical obligations. In an issue of JAMA, published on June 18, 2008, Dr. Emanuel blames the Hippocratic Oath for the "over use of medical care".
He states that "Medical school education and post graduate work emphasize thoroughness. This culture is further reinforced by a unique understanding of professional obligations, specifically the Hippocratic Oath’s admonition to" use my power to help the sick to the best of my ability and judgment" as an imperative to do everything for the patient regardless of cost or effect on others."
The English translation of this: Doctors shouldn't’t work too hard to save people who are too old or to young to pay taxes. Doctors should do everything in their power to save the state money on health care.
In Betsy MCCaughey’s Wall Street Journal Article, "Obama’s Health Rationer-in-Chief" Dr. Emanuel says the "Major contributor" to rapid increases in health spending is "the constant introduction of new medical technologies, including new drugs, devices, and procedures…with very few exceptions, both public and private insurers in the United States cover and pay for any beneficial new technology with out considering its cost."
Dr. Emanuel also says the United States should erect a decision making body similar to the United Kingdom’s rationing body-the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to slow down the adoption of new medications and set limits on how much will be paid to lengthen a life.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has been under fire by the public and the media in Britain for denying life saving drugs to patients with cancer and lung disorders on the basis of cost. The British socialized medicine system has also denied health care to patients who pay for these drugs out of their own pockets, thus following the liberal tenant that all misery should be spread equally.
Comments
The commenter above is trying desperately to make one think that
Dr. Emanuel doesn't apply Social Darwinism to the Obama health care plan and he does. No where does he say anything about not applying this principle to other medical resources. In fact he does go into some length about "over use" of medicine. See JAMA editin June 18, 2009. Perhaps nyp would like to have rationed care, but I would not. I think he would be squealing a whole new tune if he were on the recieving end of Dr. Emanual's "bio ethics."
When a writer doesn't have a grasp on simple grade school grammar (like "who's" stands for "who is."), it's understandable that they can't grasp more difficult concepts.
I am a 76 yr. old veteran of this great country of america, I can truthfully say, and without reservation, that i have never seen any of America's previous presidents disgrace the office of president so passionately as this man --Obama. Many of my indian friends say that he "speaks with fork tongue".His tongue goes one way--his actions another-- producing "smoke screens" to cover up his hidden agenda of destroying America's economy,it's working class of small American citizens and then --instilling his "MARXIST" government of tyrany. He already has his small civilian -militia- in place and performing as "ACORN THUGS' at our "Town Hall Meetings". And while they attempt to quiten those voices of "opposition" he has his parade of CZARS moving across the "Chess Board" preparing to further split America apart by allowing CZAR VAN JONES to label Conservative Right Wing Christians and our Country's Veterans as--- " A-- Holes" !!! So---a small letter -p- preceeds the title-pRESIDENT !!!
Instead of paying attention to what is going on in our government and taking a stand against the "fundamental transformation of the United States" we nit pick about grammatical errors? Please. This administration is dangerous and quite frankly should be examined by EVERYONE, not just a few bloggers and Fox News. Where is the Main Stream Media in this? Their silence resonates. I refuse to name call and point fingers. This goes way beyond Democrat/Republican White/Black Left/Right. Wake up, people. The American way of life is at stake here.
nyp calling others names costs you your comments. I will tolerate disagreement, but not rudeness.
This is an incredibly misleading and unfair slur on a distinguished oncologist. Dr. Emanuel's article was expressly limited to the special case of scarce medical interventions - such as a limited supply of transplant organs or new vaccines where there there are more qualified recipients than there are donors. It says so in the very first sentence of the article. You chose to leave out of your post the fact that his article was limited to organ donations and scarce vaccines. In so doing you mislead Americans seeking clarity about an important topic of current debate. Why did you decide to do that?
And, by the way, don't you think it would have been helpful if your readers had known that Dr. Emanuel was one of the leading opponents of assisted suicide. Of course, that would have blown a large hole in your thesis. Better to simply mislead.
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