July 01, 2009
The uncomfortable contradictions of Obamacare
Jonah Goldberg makes reference to Lebensunwertes Leben in the title to a post on Pres. Obama's infomercial for socialized medicine.
From the LA Times:
Reporting from Washington — President Obama suggested at a town hall event Wednesday night that one way to shave medical costs is to stop expensive and ultimately futile procedures performed on people who are about to die and don't stand to gain from the extra care.
In a nationally televised event at the White House, Obama said families need better information so they don't unthinkingly approve "additional tests or additional drugs that the evidence shows is not necessarily going to improve care."
He added: "Maybe you're better off not having the surgery, but taking the painkiller."
There's an interesting contradiction here. According to the pro-choice perspective, it's outrageous for the state to interfere in a woman's decision to terminate a pregnancy. But it's pragmatic and reasonable for the state to consider terminating a person, if some money can be saved.
This logic is nothing new.
That last line is a reference to the eugenics policies of the Nazi regime that ruled Germany from 1933-1945; Lebensunwertes Leben is Life Unworthy of Life, which is how so-called mental defectives and other less-than-perfect members of society were designated.
Lest Goldberg -- and I -- be accused of violating Godwin's Law, the issue is the State deciding who should receive medical treatment, i.e., who should live or die, and not the individual, rather than some sweeping allegation that Nazi-era eugenics policies are resurgent.
I agree with Goldberg that the abortion debate has led the left to take an absolutist position: No one may interfere with a woman's healthcare decisions, but single-payer, government-controlled healthcare will, by definition and necessity ration access to benefits.
The contradictions are plain to see, and the ethical dilemmas strike me as patently obvious.
Posted by Mike Lief at July 1, 2009 07:51 AM
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