[MD] The Death Panels

[Horse]

Hi Guys

Thanks for joining in this conversation in a reasoned and reasonable way.

I kept coming up with the Palin link when I was looking for info on the 
subject and figured that it was more or less her trying to muddy the 
waters on an important debate.  I think she also tried more of the same 
with  with some BS about  the "Death  Panels" relating to ones level of 
productivity in society!

Arlo, I think you're quite right that this sort of contemptible nonsense 
should be kept away from this forum and my thanks for challenging Platt 
on the use of this emotive hyperbole. Your use of commentary, sarcasm 
and irony (with a lot of exasperation thrown in) are obviously nothing 
like those made by Nick some time back and I think it was inappropriate 
of Platt to try and equate your actions with Nicks.

John, I can see your point about even with the best medical care in the 
world people still die but the point about good healthcare for all is 
that it is not purely a financial decision as to who gets treated and 
who doesn't. Ian makes the point that medical personnel make life and 
death decisions every day and will sometimes get it badly wrong - I 
wouldn't like to be in their shoes and I think that reducing the 
argument to insults and pejorative comments susch as "Death Panels" is 
entirely immoral. Sure, everyone dies eventually but the problem with a 
lack of proper healthcare provision is that many people die needlessly 
because they have no means of access to care which would otherwise keep 
them alive and this lack of access is caused by financial not ethical 
decisions.

Thanks for the quotes Ham - although I don't see good healthcare for all 
as an instance of creeping collectivism but an acknowledgement that the 
right to life - and a reasonable quality of life - goes beyond who has 
the biggest stick, mouth or bank balance. What I fail to understand here 
is why so many Americans can't see the obvious in that you are unlikely 
to be stuck with a single system of healthcare. As Ian has pointed out 
you can have a mix of private and public healthcare with extra care 
available if you opt for extra levels of insurance. If you want 
non-critical surgery or treatment and can afford to pay for it then fair 
enough but at least allow critical treatment to be available, in 
principle, to all. That seems only fair in my book. If you think, as 
Platt seems to, that the healthcare in the UK is so awful then why is it 
that over here we aren't campaigning for better insurance but rather 
better health service provided care. It's not perfect by a long shot but 
for my money I would rather the system we have over here than the one 
you currently have.

I think the majority of people on this list can see through the 
stupidity of the "Death Panel" hype but it is a bit sad that it should 
come up at all except to discuss it rationally and with the contempt it 
deserves.

Cheers


Horse