Friday, August 07, 2009

In Response to their Dismissive Characterizations

Asked about his 99 year old grandmother, this is what Obama had to say:
"And all we're suggesting -- and we're not going to solve every difficult problem in terms of end-of-life care. A lot of that is going to have to be, we as a culture and as a society starting to make better decisions within our own families and for ourselves. But what we can do is make sure that at least some of the waste that exists in the system that's not making anybody's mom better, that is loading up on additional tests or additional drugs that the evidence shows is not necessarily going to improve care, that at least we can let doctors know and your mom know that, you know what? Maybe this isn't going to help. Maybe you're better off not having the surgery, but taking the painkiller."
So, no, Obama is not saying "Kill Granny". Not outright. And we'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say that's not his intent. But let's take a look at what he is saying.

"... we as a culture and as a society starting to make better decisions within our own families and for ourselves."

Not really "Kill Granny", but we as a society need to start maybe making decisions that granny might not want to go along with about how long she will live or with what functionality.

Obama & Co as President, Congress, & Empathetic Judges, doesn't get to tell us what "we as a culture" need to do. We as individual free men and women get to decide what we need to do with the resources we have. It's none of the rest of our concern until we start involuntarily paying for others' choices.

Once this happens, The Collective has a say in what care you get. Period. And as has happened in other countries, once the inevitable shortage that invariably comes from "free" things that people want arrives, there will be rationing. There will be pressure to cut costs by the collective. It's simple economics. It's human nature, and there are plenty of examples to look at. Care will be denied. And government doesn't take kindly to being shown up by private health care plans. The people behind this have a basic philosophical hatred for the idea that A can afford something and B can afford something better. They are here to enforce equal outcomes. It is a basic tenant of their religion. And they see their chance here with Obamacare.

When the responsibility for payment resides with the individual and those around him who volunteer their support, we can make peace with our own decisions. When the decisions are out of our hands

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