Sarah Palin recently posted concerns over the democrats’ plans for health care “reform”, specifically mentioning that her son Trig could be denied treatment because he has Down’s Syndrome. Of course, the left (and some on the right) went on the attack. But it isn’t such a stretch when one of Obama’s top advisors is an advocate of not wasting resources on people like Trig.
Here’s an idea. If President Obama wants us to stop being afraid of his policies and plans, he should stop appointing such scary people to carry out those policies and plans. Just a suggestion!
Many of Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel writings that are being quoted here are academic discussions of theoretical constructs and not to be taken as his beliefs. You have academics in their ivory towers discussing theories as food for thought. The title of the article that Palin references is “Principals for Allocation of SCARCE Medical Interventions” The article is specifically referring to SCARCE interventions such as organ transplants and vaccines.
If you look at the breadth of his work you see that for example: A decade ago, when many doctors wanted to legalize euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide, Dr. Emanuel opposed euthanasia throughout his research. He challenged stereotypes of patients expressing interest in euthanasia, and found that patients were not in excruciating pain, but that they were depressed and did not want to be a burden to their loved ones. He is not a co-author of the healthcare bill, as the bill HR 3200 and the other bills are written by congress.
Taken from an ABC news story:
“For the prolific Emanuel — the author of nine books, 11 book chapters, and more than 200 magazine articles – the process is frustrating. He wrote a chapter in Harrison’s Textbook—the main medical textbook—on improving end of life care; edited the end of life care section of UpToDate the main electronic medical textbook; and posited in “The Promise of a Good Death” in Lancet Oncology how doctors need to treat the whole patient and not just symptoms. Medical experts say he’s not known for being cold towards the needs of the dying; quite the opposite.”
The culprit who started this? Betsy Mccaughey. She wrote an op-ed in the NY POST titled “Deadly Doctors”.
She is the same person who led the misinformation campaign to torpedo Health care reform in 1994. She works for the Hudson Institute who is funded by Drug companies, Drug store chains, and biomedical suppliers. She wrote a letter to PHARMA CEO Alan Holmer on Jan. 7th, 2000 where she states “…asking PHAMA to support my work at the Hudson Institute, because my writings on health care policy can make a substantial difference in PUBLIC OPINION and in the nation’s capitol”.
Her deliberate lies and misinformation have been picked up by the right wing echo chamber and Republicans in congress have helped to lead the charge in misinforming the public about Health care reform.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0