Don't fear death - you'll be helping the economy!

David Brooks' opinion piece "Death and Budgets" crosses into real death panel territory. Not only are seniors and the sick ruining the economy with Medicare costs, they should not fear death - it's good for the budget!

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/15/opinion/15brooks.html?_r=1

"This fiscal crisis is about many things, but one of them is our inability to face death — our willingness to spend our nation into bankruptcy to extend life for a few more sickly months."

"But that phrase, “marginally extend the lives of the very sick,” should ring in the ears. Many of our budget problems spring from our quest to do that."

"We are never coercively going to give up on the old and ailing. But it is hard to see us reducing health care inflation seriously unless people and their families are willing to do what Clendinen is doing — confront death and their obligations to the living."

My newspaper today also had local opinion piece "For Some, Life Can Go On Too Long".

Unfortunately, a lot of people will read his tripe and nod their heads in agreement.

:banghead:

by massive fraud on Wall Street. IMHO


Please revisit this documentary:

The Warning

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/warning/view/

eom

2008 figures:

Per capita health spending in Sweden: $3,470
Per capita health spending in USA: $7,538

Life expectancy in Sweden: 81
Life expectancy in USA: 78.5

Sweden cares for it's octogenarians at one half the cost of the USA.

It's not the age of the population, it's the corrupt, profiteering American system, Mr. Brooks.

to set an example for the rest of us budding old codgers to follow. After all, why wait until he gets to that point, he already has thinning gray hair, that is, what hasn't already been lost to pattern-baldness, and is a "dead" giveaway that he has been sucking on society's teat for far too long already. With the advent of the internet, anyone with a laptop and an internet connection can spew the same BS that he does.

:eyes: :puke: :mad: :wtf:

We will be spared all the toxins produced to sustain you from here on in.

:smilie confusion:

:crazy:

They are making some serious points. There have been
some good reports which show: Example. People who have
cancer--in some cases there has been exploitation.

People have lost their homes paying for a Cancer Treatment
that only extended the life of the person 2 months. The
family had borrowed money paying for expensive treatments.
They had used the family home as collateral and suddenly
they could not make both the mortgage and loan payment.

People need to be educated to ask what is the amount of time
this drug can give. Look, Pharma wants to sell their Products
and Hospitals have to make a profit.

There are lots of things to think about and I believe
they are asking us to think seriously about life and
death issues.

Do you want to lie month in and month out with no function
and tubes in every orifice and no brain activity???

I have PAD, and am now paying dearly both physically and financially due to my decades-long cigarette habit.

But it should only be MY and only MY decision to end my life before I become too sick to get up unaided and leave my bed, or take care of myself w/o any assistance. I feel that have already "pre-contributed" to our society by NEVER having reproduced. (at least none that I know of...heh!!)

How unhealthy must anyone/everyone become for society to be better off if they were dead? Who sets the defining rule(s)? How could these rules be applied fairly, equitably and indiscriminately? Who makes the final recommendation(s) or decision? When their assets are totally/finally depleted, or waay before then, so that their "spawn" will still be able to inherit their worldly possessions and (any) remaining assets, but of course NOT (also) become obligated or take any responsibility for any of their debts that might be left behind? (damn...that seems like something a...gasp...rightwinger would say...yikes!!)


Legalized euthanasia/assisted suicide unfortunately has the potential to become a huge can of worms, enabling "grieving" family members to more easily instead become heartless/guilt-free sociopaths, perhaps not having ANY regrets or second thoughts about putting or agreeing to put "grandpa" and/or "grandma" to death...perhaps long before he and/or she actually becomes a financial and/or physical burden to them, and of course any life insurance payout(s) would likely be affected, IF the decedent did not pass away completely unaided or involuntarily...

after non-traditional products as "unsafe"; 4. Reduce or eliminate funding for little-used but life-saving drugs/medicines (See: Certain anti-venoms.); 5. Allow insurance payment only for "most-effective" medicines/drugs/procedures while forbidding private individual payments for said medicines/drugs/procedures (See: Except for the wealthy who can travel and the Black Market.).

society like the movie's LOGAN'S RUN had ....He would be over the age limit by 29 years....He is 50.
It seems to me that is why the Republicans want to do away with Medicare/Medicaid. Of course they would allow
some certain rich seniors to live as needed "Wise Men".

Hate that slimy leech...